Stuck In The Middle With You
by StrangersAngel
Summary: Negan has a rough day...with further complications on the commute to his bedroom. Smutiness ensues. Expanded from One Shot. Two words: Elevator Sex.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Just a quick little one shot to unblock my muse and play with the naughty and delightfully wicked Negan. I know just enough about him to have inappropriate thoughts thanks to Jeffery Dean Morgan. Apologies to any canon purists- I did my level best to stay true to character, but this is smutty fan fiction. Feedback appreciated. After this I am back into Boondocks Saints land and Daryl Dixon. Well, at least until Jeffery Dean Morgan gets a little more screen time. xoxo J**

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Negan stalked through the halls of the factory, the sound of his boots echoing off the hard concrete. The normally jovial leader was in a foul mood. Keeping the Sanctuary running was a full time job, and then some. He felt weary, and after the incident with Sherry and Dwight, the only confidant he truly trusted was his own reflection. He needed some down time to recharge and think. He tried playing pool and drinking with the men, but they wouldn't shut the fuck up. They were worse than a bunch of old ladies gossiping. A couple more drinks and round or two in the sack would clear his weary mind—at least for a little while. His thoughts drifted to which of his wives would distract him the most while giving him the least amount of grief in return.

 _Everybody wants a fucking piece of me._ He thought.

Hilltop had tried to screw them over-again. That sanctimonious prick Gregory thought he could pull a fast one by shorting their drop. He had no choice but to show him and his idiot followers what the Saviors were truly capable of. Then there was the incident where a whole legion of his men were blown up on the road, leaving nothing but a pile of charred flesh and mangled motorcycle parts.

 _Fuck_. He thought. _It might take more than a couple of drinks to turn off the noise inside my head._

He looked around the factory as he approached the freight elevator at the far end of the building that would take him up to his living quarters. The large factory space was unusually quiet. Most of the residents of Sanctuary had the good sense to make themselves scarce when Negan was in one of his moods. He sighed deeply as he reached for the lever that closed the wooden cage. _Almost home._

"Wait! Please...hold the elevator!" A frantic female voice echoed off the concrete.

Negan chuckled to himself as he waited for the disembodied voice to make its appearance. _This ought to be entertaining,_ he thought as he twirled a freshly cleaned Lucille absentmindedly against the floor.

A petite woman in a mechanic's jumpsuit came barreling into the freight elevator, leaning against the corner of the space, breathless. Her blue-black hair was in a tight French braid, showing off her stunning cheekbones. She looked to be in her late twenties, her slender figure obstructed by the baggy jumpsuit. Her pale complexion was flushed from running and she had a dab of motor oil on her forehead. Negan was transfixed and puzzled by the woman, who still hadn't bothered to look at her companion in the elevator. _I thought I knew all the hot women in here._ He chuckled to himself.

"Well...since you so nicely said please..." He grinned as he closed the wooden cage.

She gasped as she lifted her head, recognizing the voice of their leader. Negan grinned widely as he watched embarrassment mixed with a little bit of fear invade the girl's expressive face. Her eyes were large and wide, and an unusual color-violet.

"I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean to hold you up... I know how busy you are... I can take the stairs..." She stammered as she tried to make a quick exit.

"Nonsense, sugar. I insist. What floor?" His lips curled into a smile.

"The seventh floor, please." She said softly.

 _There was that word again._ He thought. _Please_. The way she said it was so earnest, so sincere, it had him half hard and he didn't even know her name yet.

Negan pushed the buttons for the seventh and eighth floors and looked her up and down as the elevator began its climb.

"What's your name, sweetness? I don't remember meeting you before."

"My name is Lila." She answered.

The girl blushed anew as she met his inquisitive gaze. "I don't imagine you would remember me, sir. I was in quite a bad way when you took in some of our group. You were...preoccupied with disposing of our leader." Her face darkened as she remembered that night.

Negan wasn't sure what to make of her expression. "Are you mad I killed him?" He asked.

"No, sir. I'd thank you everyday if I could. He was a monster." She shuddered.

 _Some people think I'm a different kind of monster._ He thought.

Negan was about to ask her another question when the elevator shook violently and stopped in between floors five and six.

"Fucking fuck fuck! Stupid fucking fuckers can't even keep a simple fucking elevator working!" He bellowed. "I don't have time for this shit, people!" He yelled, hoping to reach anyone within earshot. Nothing. He waited a moment before yelling and banging Lucille against the metal cage.

Lila backed away into the corner of the elevator, sinking to the floor. She had a far away look in her eyes as she tried to stop herself from shaking.

"Shit! Lila! Look at me, sweetheart. I'm not mad at you, you're not in charge of the elevator. Are you scared of me?" Negan asked.

She shook her head and looked up at him. "I'm not scared of you, sir. I...I just hate confined spaces...cages...especially after..." She trailed off as her lower lip trembled.

In an uncharacteristic move, Negan knelt on the floor and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his chest. "Shhh. It's okay, doll. We're going to get out of here." He said with confidence. _And heaven help whoever was supposed to keep this shitbox operating smoothly._ He thought.

Lila sighed and relaxed into his arms as he rearranged them on the floor. She pulled her head away from his chest and looked up to find his brown eyes studying her intently. _What was it about this girl that has me acting like a damn fool?_ He thought. _Exhaustion? His ever present state of arousal? Her pretty face and impeccable manners? God. The way she said please._ _Fuck. Now I'm getting hard again._ Negan shifted Lila away from his crotch-surprising himself again with his consideration for her.

"Sorry...I'm such a mess. It's been a long day. I was looking forward to a few hours of sleep before my early shift tomorrow." She smiled up at him.

Up close, his features softened a bit...and he was being kind to her-something Lila hadn't experienced in a very long time. Her last group had been taken over by a tyrant of a man who took special pleasure in torturing and tormenting the female members of the group.

Negan took a rag out of his pocket and wiped the grease off of her forehead, grinning.

"I had a long ass day too, doll. I take it you work in the garage? Pretty little thing like you better not be distracting all the other grease monkeys." He chuckled, but there was an undercurrent of warning to his voice.

Lila sat up and looked him in the eyes. "I run circles around all of your other mechanics, _Sir._ While I may not have the title, I run that shop." Her tone was firm as her eyes glittered with irritation.

Negan broke into a full belly laugh. "Shit, Lila. I'm sorry, doll. I have noticed the trucks have been running better lately. Thank you. I should have known Pete didn't have it in him. Lazy bastard. Don't tell anyone...but I've only kept him around because we worked together...before everything."

It was Lila's turn to laugh. "Nice guy. Too bad he doesn't know a spark plug from a lug nut." She giggled. "I grew up in the trade. Third generation family run garage in Virginia. My brothers kept trying to stick me in the office, but I was better than all of them..and my Dad knew it. Left me in charge when he passed."

Sadness danced across her face at the memory of her family. Her eyes watered a bit as she fought the emotions plaguing her mind. Negan tugged on the end of her braid.

"Hey. Don't think about before." He whispered. His traced his thumb across her cheek, catching an escaped tear. Lila bit her lower lip and nodded.

"Sometimes I just want the noise in my head to stop...you know?" She said softly.

"I'm grateful to be alive, but I sometimes I want...more."

Negan moved closer, his eyes darting from her lips to her eyes. He leaned in, his breath ghosting across her skin. "I know what you mean...I always want more." He whispered against her ear.

Lila sighed as his lips brushed the soft spot under her ear, against her cheek, and the underside of her throat. Her breath quickened as the scruff of his beard scraped along her jawline. She felt his teeth against her throat as his mouth traveled along her neck before arriving at the juncture of her collarbone. He moaned low as he bit, dragging his tongue soothingly over the bite mark. When he pulled back her breath caught as their eyes met, darkened and desire bound.

"Right now, I want you..all of you, Lila. But I've gotta hear you say it..." He growled like the caged beast he was.

Lila's fingers toyed with the fabric of his red scarf.

"I want you, Negan. All of you...sir. _Please_." She said, looking him in the eyes.

Negan growled as he pushed her down against the floor of the elevator, covering her body with his. Lila moaned as he nuzzled her neck, his lips, tongue and teeth marking any exposed flesh in their path. His hips pressed into the cradle of hers, allowing her to feel every inch of his hardened flesh begging for release.

"Fuck me..." Negan growled as he pulled away, kneeling above her to catch his breath. He removed his leather jacket, placing it beneath her head. Lila was pinned beneath him, eyes aglow and cheeks flushed as her chest heaved. Lila reached up and ran her hand underneath his t-shirt, feeling the solid muscles of his abdomen. When her fingertips touched his belt, Negan grabbed her wrist.

"Not yet, baby...I have other plans." He chuckled.

Lila watched as he used two hands to pull apart the snap closure buttons of her jumpsuit, his eyes glittering with mischief as he separated each set of buttons. When he pulled apart the last set, he slowly parted the fabric, drawing in a sharp breath as he took in her naked form beneath the fabric. His fingertips traced a line from the center of her breasts to her belly button.

"No bra or panties?" He grinned. "I like your style, doll..."

Lila blushed with embarrassment. "I'm down to one set, sir...my points have gone to more important things..."

"Shhhh..." Negan held a finger to her lips. He bowed his head and began trailing kisses along her chest until he reached one of her pert nipples, hardened and begging for his attention. His tongue traced a lazy circle, and Lila loved every minute of it. When his teeth edged along the peak of her nipple, a low moan escaped as she arched greedily into his mouth. Negan groaned as he sucked hard, his other hand cupping her between her legs.

"Negan!" She gasped breathlessly. Her fingers carded through his hair, overwhelmed by the sensation of his hands, lips and tongue consuming her whole.

"Lila..." He answered with another devilish grin as his kissed a trail down her abdomen. "My sweet delicious Lila..." He murmured as his eyes focused on the thin whisper of hair leading to her mound.

Lila bit her lip as she waited for his mouth to make contact with her swollen and aching sex. She whimpered as he traced a finger across the length of her opening.

"So wet for me, sugar. I might drown..." He laughed.

"Please..." She begged, her hips arching into his touch.

Negan groaned against her, the sound reverberating through her core. His tongue darted out experimentally, tasting the salty sweetness of her arousal. "Mmmmhmmm...Lila." His voice muffled as he pulled her tight against his face. She shuddered with pleasure as his facial hair scraped her sensitive skin. His hands seemed to be everywhere as his tongue danced rhythmically against her clit. When he curled two fingers inside her, all coherent thought shattered.

"Yes...Yes...please... Negan…you're magic with your tongue..." Lila chanted as she rode the waves of her orgasm.

Negan looked into her hooded eyes and grinned widely. His face was slick with her arousal. "Wait until you ride my dick." He laughed. Lila moaned and held his wrist in place as she tried to maintain the delicious friction of Negan's fingers rubbing her in all the right places.

"Such a greedy girl...ready for more already?"

Lila moaned and tried to pull him close enough to unhook his belt.

He curled his fingers, hitting the bundle of nerves guaranteed to send her careering over the edge again.

"Come for me, sweetness. Let me know I'm the best baby..." He growled.

"Negan... Negan...Negan..." She chanted incoherently as the pleasure began to consume her again.

"Please..."

A rush of warmth flooded his hand, making him grin with smug satisfaction. She blushed, looking embarrassed at the mess between her legs before Negan made a show of licking his fingers coated with her arousal. He stared down at Lila.

"Mmmm...you are a delicious treat, doll. I don't normally kiss on the mouth, but I think you deserve a taste." He said as he leaned down and kissed her hard.

His tongue invaded her mouth, swirling a combination of her arousal and a slight tinge of bourbon across her palate. She moaned as he captured her lower lip briefly before releasing her. He was already thinking about how her kiss-swollen lips would look wrapped around his painfully aching cock.

He smiled as she blinked up at him, a hazy little smile on her face as she floated on a cloud of pleasure. Her violet irises were almost covered in the black of her pupils, and her cheeks were tinged the same pink as her rosy nipples.

She sat up and began tugging at his t shirt, but he was still too tall for her to pull it over his head from her sitting position. Negan stilled her hands and stood up, opting to focus his attention on his belt buckle and the fly of his jeans. He unzipped and waited for her to make the next move.

Lila rose up on her knees, running her palms up his muscular thighs. Her eyes darted to the impressive bulge encased in denim, her fingertips ghosting across it softly, as if she were admiring a marble sculpture. Negan had to stifle a whimper. _If she kept that shit up he was going to embarrass himself._

Her eyes darted to his, looking for approval to continue. She seemed to take great pleasure in admiring his form, appreciating his physique with a reverence he hadn't really experienced before. He nodded with a smirk as he pulled his engorged cock and balls free from their fabric confines.

Lila hummed low and licked her bottom lip slowly. In her humble opinion, Negan's cock should be in a museum. It stood straight, proud and thick, ready to be worshipped by her willing mouth.

There was no hesitation as she swept her tongue along the underside of his thick shaft. She circled the base of him, twisting her hand with just the right amount of tension. Negan backed up against the wall of the elevator and grinned.

"Fucking-A, Lila! Just like that..."

Lila cupped his balls and took him into her mouth as far as she could. She looked up with watery eyes and moaned against him. He nearly lost it when he noticed she was rubbing her clit in time with the strokes of her mouth.

"Fucking Fuck... doll...don't finish me off yet...not if you want me to bury my cock deep inside you..." He groaned.

Lila whimpered and released him from her mouth with a pop. Her hair was falling out of her braid and her face was a beautiful well-fucked mess. Negan lifted her up by her shoulders as if she weighed nothing. He was a foot and change taller than her, and here she was practically bringing him to his knees, he thought.

Negan pulled a condom out of his pocket and opened it with his teeth, grinning as she took her hair out of her braid and shook it out. He quickly sheathed himself before grabbing her hips, pulling her tight against his aching member.

"I'm going to fuck you senseless, sweetheart. Are you ready for me?" He whispered wickedly in her ear before nibbling on her lobe. Negan picked her up and pushed her against the wall of the elevator. He bucked his hips against her slowly, teasing her opening.

"Yes..." She gasped. "Fuck me into oblivion... _please."_

Negan adjusted his grip on her thighs, sinking into her tight heat slowly. They both gasped as he filled her completely. She felt stretched and full in a way she had only imagined late at night in her previous life. "So hot and tight for me..." He groaned against her neck.

Suddenly Negan pulled almost completely out and snapped his hips forward, slamming back into her with the force of a freight train. "Ugh..." She gasped. Lila's back bowed as she tensed around him in the most delicious way. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as she held on for what she was sure to be the ride of her life.

Lila was grateful to still be wearing her jumpsuit as Negan set a punishing rhythm, pounding her into the wall of the elevator with ease. Every few thrusts, he would lift her up, adjusting his grip on her thighs-the action slamming her down harder onto him. She had never had an orgasm from penetration alone before, but was well on her way. She felt her walls begin to spasm as she wrapped her legs tightly behind his back. Negan watched as she came apart, her face flushing as her back arched and hips snapped into him. She had covered her mouth to quiet herself as wave after wave of pleasure echoed through her body.

"Negan..." She whimpered as she bit her lower lip, still stifling her moans.

He chuckled wickedly as he continued thrusting through her orgasm.

"Come on, doll! Let me hear you..." He growled before pressing her harder against the wall. "I think you have another one in there for me..."

Lila growled back at him, tugging roughly on the hair at the base of his neck. Negan buried his face in her cleavage, licking and biting until she felt an electrical current release a flood between her legs. He lifted her higher once more, and her body tensed in anticipation. When she felt a thick finger graze her clit she was finished.

Her cries of pleasure echoed through the factory, followed by a loud bellowing of expletives from Negan as he came hard; filling the condom. He slowly pulled out and lowered her legs, steadying them both against the wall of the elevator car.

They collapsed in a pile of limbs as exhaustion hit both of them. Lila vaguely remembered leaning her head against Negan's shoulder before passing out.

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Lila woke up in her own small bed, obviously confused. Had she dreamed her encounter with their leader?

As she stretched, she felt the soreness of her limbs and nether region. _No, she had definitely been well fucked._ She giggled.

Looking at her small alarm clock, she sat up and gasped. She was very late for work.

Gathering her meager supply of toiletries, Lila went to freshen up in the communal bathroom down the hall. Upon returning to her room, she saw a gift bag with a note on the floor near the foot of her bed.

 ** _I gave you the day off. No reduction of your points. We were locked in that stupid elevator until morning. You were passed out cold, so I carried you to your room._**

 ** _At least we had some fun, right? I don't know what I would have done if you weren't in there with me. Whacking off wouldn't have distracted me as much as you did. Fuck! Now I'm getting hard again…_**

 ** _When you wake up, I'd like you to come and see me upstairs. I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Wear what's in the bag._**

 ** _And doll, take the stairs._**

 ** _Negan_**

Lila blushed as she read the note. She had a feeling her life was about to get a lot more complicated and a whole lot more interesting. Pleasure was a rare commodity these days, and if Negan was offering her the opportunity for more, she'd happily take it.

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	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Dammnit Negan! Running around in my head with a wicked grin. Making me write more smut. Thank you to everyone show read/favorited/reviewed and asked for more of my one-shot. It's a tremendous compliment, considering how little I know of this character. I don't know what this is or if it's going anywhere, other than Negan and Lila like each other and are having a grand old time. A brief warning of some mentions of her life before the saviors found her. Please be cautious if violence/torture is a trigger. I look forward to hearing what you think. Especially since Connor and Murphy are going to be very mad at me for postponing their chapter update-again.**

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The blush on Lila's face only grew as she opened the gift Negan had left. As she pulled the tissue paper away, a very expensive set of dark purple lingerie emerged from the bag. There was a very thin lace bra, the tiniest pair of silky lace panties, and a matching garter set with sheer black silk stockings. In the old world, this particular brand of lingerie would have set Lila back almost an entire month's salary.

At the bottom of the bag was a new pair of black patent leather high heels, in her size. _How did he manage that?_ She thought.

Looking through her meager supply of clothing, she found a clean white button down shirt and a pair of jeans. She didn't think Negan would want her prancing upstairs in nothing but her underwear.

As she dressed, her thoughts wandered back to their time in the elevator. Her nipples hardened at the memory of Negan's agile tongue and the aftermath of his love bites. Looking in the mirror, she gasped at her reflection. Her cheeks held a vibrant blush, and her eyes looked brighter. It was almost as if she was actually glowing.

Taming her still damp hair into a simple French twist, Lila took a deep breath and headed upstairs.

###

Negan's living quarters and office took up almost the entire top floor of the factory. An armed guard was stationed outside a set of double doors leading into Negan's living quarters.

"State your business." The man said, looking Lila up and down. She imagined that a lot of people must come up here looking for favors. Overall, she thought the points system was fair, and kept things in working order, but she knew there were always people who complained or tried to work the system to their advantage. It was human nature, especially in the apocalypse.

"Negan asked to see me as soon as I was available." She said matter-of-factly. "My name is Lila."

The man nodded and pressed a red button on the wall beside the doors. After a moment, he nodded again and the click of an electronic lock buzzed one of the doors open. He held it open for her as she crossed the threshold.

Lila took a moment to look around the room, slightly intimidated by the ornate furnishings. There were plush cushions and expensive looking chairs and sofas placed around the large room.

A brunette woman in her early 30's crossed the room and smiled warmly at her. She was dressed in a similar outfit to Lila's and carried a thick leather bound book in her hand.

"Hi. You must be Lila. It's nice to meet you. I'm Sherry. Negan's first wife."

Lila smiled and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you Sherry. Um...how many of there are you?"

Sherry gave a little half hearted laugh. "Well there's only one me... But if you mean how many wives are there... Five..so far." She trailed off, looking Lila up and down. "You're very pretty Lila...and different than what he usually..."

There was a pounding sound from behind a closed door that made her pause.

Sherry's body tightened with tension before she heard a door open and Negan's commanding voice echo into the room. His impressive frame followed, but he was still turned around towards his office.

"Dwight! You stupid fuck! What do you mean you shot the wrong asshole? I ought to shoot you in the..." Negan trailed off as he saw Lila and Sherry talking in the parlor.

"Shit! Now that's what I like to see! Beautiful women waiting to talk to me. Sherry, have you been an accommodating hostess?" Negan grinned playfully.

Dwight came out of Negan's office, not making eye contact with anyone as he bolted for the door. Lila could see the tension in Sherry's body language from seeing Dwight. Lila had been in the infirmary when they had returned, so she had only heard bits and pieces of what had happened.

Sherry smiled at Lila sweetly. "Of course Negan. We've just been getting to know each other. You interrupted us before I could tell her about how you love to leave your dirty socks on the floor." She batted her eyelashes before turning on her heel to leave the room.

Negan chuckled and grinned, but Lila noticed his smile didn't quite reach his eyes as he watched her walk out of the room.

"My Sher-bear... Always keeping me on my toes." He called after her.

Lila didn't quite know what to say, so she just smiled and shrugged. "We did have a nice chat... No socks were mentioned, sir."

He laughed as he placed his hand on the small of her back, ushering her into his office. The door closed softly, with Negan locking it behind them. Her breath caught a bit at the turning of the lock. He noticed her reaction immediately.

"It's just so we aren't interrupted, doll. You wouldn't believe how many people think they can just barge in here. I promise you can leave at any time." He said, looking her in the eyes.

Lila took a deep breath and nodded. Part of her wanted to leap into his arms and thank him for her gift, and the other part was intimidated by her surroundings. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the dark furnishings, maps and various weapons. There was a book shelf with antique looking volumes and a leather couch close to the window looking out onto the back half of the walled compound.

"So... You're probably wondering why I asked you to come up here..." He said.

Negan took a seat behind his desk, motioning for Lila to sit in one of the chairs opposite him.

Lila sat down and noticed how much smaller she felt. It reminded her of being in trouble in school. She figured it was intentional. A power play for whomever found themselves engaged in a battle of wits or negotiation. There sat her authority figure, all hard muscle and appraising looks. Her mind wandered briefly to what it might be like to be bent over his desk and...

"Earth to Lila! I said you're probably wondering why you are here...where did your mind go, doll? Thinking about last night?" He grinned as her face flushed.

She turned and made eye contact, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise as she took in the conspiratorial smirk etched onto his beautiful face. His eyes caught a bit of the afternoon sun, giving them an amber like glow as he scratched at his stubble, trying to read her mind.

"Actually, I was wondering if I was in some sort of trouble, sir." She said.

Negan wrinkled his brow in confusion.

"Why would you think that you were in trouble, doll?"

"Your desk is quite imposing... I get it... The power dynamic...subconscious domination over adversaries, intimidating allies... And that made me think of what it would be like to be bent over it. So you can see how you lost me...and I hope you know... I don't regret last night...and I hope it didn't cause you any issues with your wives, because, well I respect your rules and your structure and... Your gift was very thoughtful and..."

He held up a hand, cutting her off.

"Jesus, Lila! You need to switch to decaf."

Lila let out a small giggle. "Sorry, sir..."

Negan stood up and walked around the desk. "I'll sit on the couch." He offered. "Then you can be in the position of power. Sitting across from me in your chair." He smirked as he leaned back and spread out his legs on the small couch. His hands came to rest behind his head, cocky and confident.

"The reason I asked you here was I wanted to talk to you about last night- and I wanted to get to know you better. You are not in trouble...I have no idea why you would think you were...hell you gave me better head last night than any of my wives- but now I'm thinking of you bent over my desk, thank you so very fucking much for making me hard while I'm trying to have a normal conversation with you..." He said, lifting a hand, casually placing it on the bulge in his jeans.

She bit her lower lip as she felt the growing tension in the room. She took a deep breath. Negan was much closer to her now, able to strike at any moment.

"Thank you for your gift, by the way. It's so beautiful." She whispered. "Would you like to see how it looks?"

"Absofuckinglutely." He smiled.

Lila smiled and stood up, walking to the other side of his desk. She bent down low, so he couldn't see her lower half as she shimmied off her jeans and put her heels back on. When she stood back up, he could see the frilly tops of her stockings. She still had on her white button down shirt, and her back was turned.

"You puttin on a show for me, doll?" He said. His voice had gotten thicker with his desire.

Lila undid a couple of buttons with her back still turned, shrugging the shirt so her shoulder and a bra strap were exposed. The seams of the stockings ran a perfect line down the back of her legs. She turned her head over her shoulder to look at him and winked.

Negan let out a satisfied groan before unbuckling his jeans, trying to alleviate some of the growing pressure in his groin.

She turned around and sauntered around the edge of the desk, unbuttoning the last set of buttons. The muscles of her legs flexed beautifully in her high heels, elongating her frame as she stood in front of him, glorious in the afternoon light. The dark purple lace complimented her pale skin perfectly. The underwire of the bra pushed her breasts into perfect mounds, her nipples hard and visible through the fine lace. The garter set accentuated her small waist, focusing attention toward the v of her sex, barely covered by a small triangle of purple lace. She did a little twirl, letting the shirt hang off her shoulders so that it was still covering her back. When she turned around to face him, her eyes found his, violet and black, blinking slowly, as her mind processed his reaction.

"Goddamn Lila...you look like a goddess. It was like that was made for you. I wish I had a camera or I knew how to paint or something. You have no idea how sexy you look right now. You're making me all poetic and shit." He ran his tongue over his lips before grinning broadly.

Lila blushed as she walked closer to him, unsure of what to do. Negan grabbed her hand and tugged her so she was standing right in front of him. Looking into her eyes, he ran the palms of his hands up her stockinged legs, making her shiver.

"And hard as a motherfucking rock..." He whispered against her stomach. "Take off your shirt, doll. Lemme see all of you."

Instantly, it felt as though Lila had been kicked in the stomach. When they were together the other night, she had left her jumpsuit on. It was easy for her to forget about the horrific scars left by the monster Negan's group had rescued her and the others from. Her lip trembled, and her eyes shifted around the room, looking for a way out.

"Lila! Look at me. What's wrong?" His brow furrowed with concern. Something he said had triggered her into a panic. He stood up, pulling her into his arms. "You're safe here. I won't hurt you...I won't let anyone else hurt you either." He tilted her head up, looking into her eyes, violet pools glittering with unshed tears. His thumb stroked her cheek, an uncharacteristic and tender action for him.

"I'm worried of what you'll think, sir." She whispered. "I forgot all about them last night..."

"Forgot about wha-?" He said as Lila turned around and removed her shirt. Negan's jaw tightened as he bit his tongue, rage boiling as he took in the marks on her back. Her otherwise beautiful skin was marred by dozens of shallow knife marks, almost as if someone had been keeping score, or an inventory with hash marks on her back.

Negan turned her around and cradled her face, kissing her tenderly on the forehead, his thumbs tracing circles on the apples of her cheeks. "You survived. That fucker is dead. Don't let him into your head anymore. You hear me?"

Lila buried her face into his chest and nodded, wiping away her tears. She looked up into Negan's eyes, unable to name the torment of emotions she found looking back at her.

"He didn't rape me. Said I was too old for his taste. I guess I was lucky in that regard. But he kept me locked in a cage and made me watch. The marks are an inventory of every time he...she paused. Like I said, if I could thank you everyday for killing him, I would-I will..." She said.

His thoughts drifted to dark places- he could tell that man was a sick bastard ten seconds into finding Lila's group. He had caught him in the act, making it easy to justify killing him without any thought. _Did the other men in her group just let it happen? Who else pledged loyalty to them that night? All of the faces of those he didn't kill ran together. He wanted to kill that fucker all over again, but would settle for any accomplices he might have missed._

Lila cleared her throat, putting on her best smile as she squeezed Negan's forearms, bringing him back into the present.

"Last night was incredible, sir. I felt beautiful for the first time since the world went to hell. Even if you only brought me here to tell me it was a one time thing, I don't regret it."

He circled an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Sweetheart...last night was one of the best times I've had in a long time. I wouldn't have sent for you if I wanted it to be a one time thing. Christ, look at you. You're stunning. And you haven't said anything really boring or annoying. Even with all this shitty talking we're doing, I'm still hard for you. See?" He grabbed her hand and placed it over the bulge in his pants.

Lila giggled as she felt his cock jump against her hand. He groaned as she moved her hand slowly against him. He growled in her ear. "You're playing with fire, Lila." He pulled the pin holding her hair up and smirked as is cascaded in wildly around her face.

Her eyes danced with amusement as he flopped back down onto the couch. He sat in the middle and pulled her into his lap, her knees framing his hips. His hands seemed to be everywhere-caressing her soft skin, playing with the fabric of her bra, cupping her ass to pull her closer. She groaned as their hips moved in time, pushing his erection right against her swollen and aching center. Lila carded her fingers through his hair, making a mess of it. His lips trailed along her neck and shoulders, making her sigh and shiver in his arms.

"Negan..." She whispered. "Please..." She rocked against him, nibbling on his ear.

He tugged on the bottom of her hair, arching her body like a bow. He licked a trail from her sternum to her chin, smiling wickedly.

"I do love it when you say please, babydoll..." He said, thrusting his hips upward. Lila whimpered and writhed on his lap. He pushed her off of his legs for a moment, lifting his hips so he could push his jeans and boxer briefs off, freeing his aching member.

Lila edged herself off the couch, grabbing a throw pillow before kneeling in between his legs. Tugging his pants all the way off his legs, she chuckled a little. "Take off your shirt. I want to see all of you." She smiled as she began working him with her hands before bending down to tease him with a lick. Negan groaned deeply when he felt her lips push against the crown. Her fingertips made small circles on his skin as she edged him deeper down her throat.

"Liiiiiiila!" He groaned. She giggled with him still in her mouth, the vibrations almost too much. As she bobbed up and down, Negan must have invented at least five or six new combinations of swear words as she brought him to the brink of ecstasy. He gently pushed her away before she made him come in her mouth. He wanted to bury himself as deep as he could go, so she'd be screaming his name loud enough to be heard outside.

"Damn, woman. I feel drunk. What did you do to me?" He laughed. "Get up here." He motioned to his lap.

Lila stood up, her legs a little shaky in her heels.

"Better take off those panties, otherwise I might get carried away and rip them off."

Lila grinned as she stepped out of her panties, watching as Negan rolled on a condom. Before she could straddle him on the couch, Negan spun her around and pulled her down into his lap, her back pressing against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her chest, his forearm just underneath her breasts.

"Put your legs on top of mine." He said, the palm of his other hand pressing against her belly. "So pretty for me. Can you hold onto me from behind? Good girl." Negan maneuvered her so she was secured in his arms, but bendable with his movements. Lila's breathing quickened as she felt him press soft kisses along her neck, ending just below her ear. He nuzzled her neck, scratching her with the scruff of his beard. He casually played with her breasts, tracing his fingertips along the edge of the lace covering her aching nipples.

"Mmm...my sweet lovely Lila...you feel so good on my lap, doll. I can't wait to be inside you. But first I'm going to play with your clit and make you scream my name." His voice was low and honeyed, dripping with promise.

Negan opened his legs wide across the expanse of the couch, effectively spreading her wide open. Lila hissed as the cooler air hit her already aching clit, whimpering with frustration. She ground her rear against his erection, gasping and moaning when the head of his cock hit her outer lips. He growled and pulled her tighter against him and widened his legs until she couldn't move.

"Not yet, doll..." He whispered.

He looked down the length of her body, delighting in her soft gasps as he stretched her muscles wide and tormented her with anticipation. "Shhh...I'm going to take care of you, sweetheart..."

"Please..." She whispered. Her neck arched back, allowing her to place a kiss on the base of his jaw. " _Please._..Negan..." Her plea edged on breathless desperation.

Negan chuckled low as he moved the hand on her stomach lower, the palm of his hand covering her sex. With firm pressure, he rubbed her mound in small circles, causing her to moan and arch her back into his chest.

"Mmm..Lila. Are you ready for me? I'm not convinced yet...I'm going to pound you deep-how should I make sure you're ready?" He struggled to maintain the control in his voice. Every noise she made drove him closer to the brink. He hadn't planned on teasing her for so long, but damn if it wasn't making them both insane with need.

"You should touch me!" She cried.

"Where, babydoll?" Negan chuckled, licking and biting at her neck and collarbone.

Lila moaned. Nobody had ever talked dirty to her like this, she loved how low and charming his voice sounded as he tormented her with anticipation. Her breath came out in shallow little pants as she tried to maintain some semblance of sanity. She knew she would have to fight fire with fire.

"You should feel how hard my clit is for you before you bury your thick fingers inside me...I bet I'll come all over you...I'm dripping now." She gasped as she felt his hips buck underneath her.

Negan growled, pulling her legs further apart than she ever thought possible. Biting at her earlobe, he whispered, "I bet you'd like that, doll. I need to get a mirror in here...you look so pretty, all spread out and ready for me. I wish I could see all of you."

Lila bit her lip. The anticipation was killing her as her inner thigh muscles burned. "Please..."

"Well... Since you asked so nicely..." She could feel him smile against her ear just before he thrust his hips skyward, impaling her on his thick and aching member. His fingers circled her clit, making her already strained muscles shake and shudder into an explosive orgasm.

"NEGAN!" she screamed as her toes curled against his calves. She was in sensory overload as rubbed and pumped into her, grunting in her ear. She tilted her head back, freeing an arm so she could pull his face closer. His eyes were pools of obsidian as he grinned wickedly. He pushed their legs together, creating more friction as he drove into her.

"Fuck...you're killing me, doll." He groaned as he pinched a nipple before bending her forward in his lap. The slight change in angle pulled him deep, her muscles clenching him tight as he hit her magical bundle of nerves. Negan felt his balls draw up as he neared his climax. His fingers pressed hard against her clit as his hips jumped off the cushions of the couch, sending him over the edge.

"Lila!" He gasped, pulling her hard against him.

Her body tensed as she came again, sobbing and moaning his name as she collapsed boneless and breathless against him, a sheen of sweat covering both of them. His cheek was against her back, and he felt tempted to kiss her scars. _What the fuck was happening to him?_ He thought. He lifted Lila off his lap, pulling off the condom and tossing it in the trashcan next to the couch.

"Fuck..." He chuckled.

Normally he made himself scarce the moment he was finished fucking one of his wives, but he found he wanted to linger next to Lila as she floated in her bubble of post-coital pleasure.

She curled up on the couch, placing only her head in his lap. He looked down and smiled, playing with the ringlets of hair around her face. It wasn't quite cuddling, but it was as close as he got.

Lila smiled as Negan's thumb traced along the seam of her lips. She looked up at him, her face glowing with happiness. "What was it you wanted to discuss, sir?"

Negan chuckled. "The conversation has been amended. Before I wanted to know if I could continue to see you, get to know you a little better. Now I want to know how soon you'd be willing to move in and become wife number six."

###


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all of your comments, follows, PM's and favorites. I have no idea where this came from...but it continues. This is my head canon...based on some of what I have seen on the show and the interwebs. I claim no accuracy to actual canon as far as Sherry and the other wives. I'm winging it...and I hope you like it. Look forward to your thoughts. Also, I got two more paragraphs done on my Boondock Saints Story. Negan must have been feeling generous. Or exhausted if he let my muse escape for a few minutes. Xoxo**

* * *

Lila sat up and straightened herself out on the couch. Negan was looking at her with a thoughtful expression. His gleaming smile hid an ocean of vulnerability, as he waited for her to speak.

She watched as he tucked himself back in his pants, lifting himself off the couch. It was as though he was putting a layer of armor back on as he dressed himself methodically.

"Just so you know...I only ask once, Lila." He said as he picked up her shirt and handed it to her.

"Sorry. It's just a bit of a shock. Obviously I'm flattered and honored. What would being your wife entail?" She smiled as she reached for his hand, trying to pull him back onto the couch.

Negan chuckled and pulled her up instead, his hand circling her waist. "Well, more unbelievable fucking obviously..." His voice was low and warm. He traced the fingers of his now gloved hand along her cheekbone, seemingly fascinated with tucking her hair behind her ear. His gaze shifted to meet her.

"You would live up here, in the apartment, with the other wives. You wouldn't have to work for points-ever. In return, I'd expect your complete devotion to me. As one of my wives, your agreement and devotion goes a long way in keeping this place going..." He said.

"It's a demonstration of your power." She said.

Negan furrowed his brow slightly. "Well, of course it is. But I'm not holding a gun to any one of my wives' heads. They all have different reasons for choosing to be with me. I have different arrangements with each of them as to what our marriage means between us. But...out in the sanctuary, in front of others, it means complete and unquestioned devotion. You marry me, you are mine. If you have a boyfriend or a husband I don't know about... This is where you make your decision- him or me."

Lila could see pain behind Negan's eyes. Was he talking about Sherry or someone else before the turn betraying him? She thought.

"There isn't anyone else. I'm alone. Have been for a while, even before..." She blinked away the forgotten emotions of her past. Her last boyfriend was the emotional and physical equivalent of a nightlight. _He was probably dead now._ She was used to being alone.

He blinked at her a few times, studying the emotions flickering across her face. "Hey... You aren't alone now. You've got me, but only if you want me. I am many things, doll. Some of them aren't complimentary. But I have at least a modicum of self awareness-enough to know where I stand and what I want. I'll never lie to you, Lila, and I would never force myself on you. If you aren't in the mood, I've got plenty of options. You have my word I'll protect you. That's how I show my devotion. Well that and licking you until your legs are shaking and they can hear you screaming my name in what's left of D.C." He laughed.

Lila blushed and giggled as she felt a fresh wave of heat settle in her belly. God, his voice alone was almost enough to get her off.

"What makes my proposal to you different is that I actually like you. You're more than just a pair of tits and a killer ass to me. I think we could have some fun, hell, we've already had some fun..." He winked.

She smiled as his fingers drifted against the small of her back. By reputation she knew Negan was a man both feared and adored by the citizens of sanctuary. Never in a million years did she think she would be having a conversation like this with him.

"Can I talk to your other wives? I'm sure I'll have some questions and I know you're busy..." She asked.

He chuckled again. "Of course, doll. But I'm never too busy for you, okay? I might not be able to talk right away, but I will always make time for you. Especially when you want to get naked." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Lila laughed. "You are too much."

Negan kissed her cheek and squeezed her ass. "You have no idea. I gotta go take care of some shit. If I don't see you later, I'll send for you tomorrow. Hang out here today...meet the girls. Sherry seems to like you. That's an accomplishment."

Lila followed Negan out into the parlor, hoping she had straightened herself up enough to look presentable.

"Sherry!" Negan called. "SherBear... Get your ass out here, please."

Sherry appeared with a raised eyebrow. "You actually said please. Are you feeling alright?" She smirked.

Negan threw her a warning look. "Lila is going to hang out here today. I asked her to consider becoming a wife and she wants to think about it. Will you show her around and answer any questions she has? Introduce her to the others... Make sure they behave. I should be back late tonight."

Sherry smiled. "Of course, Negan. Come on, Lila." She said as she walked her over to a hallway on the opposite side of the parlor, leading her into a large communal kitchen area.

###

Sherry heard the door to the apartment slam shut. She smiled at Lila and took out a pack of cigarettes, offering her one. Lila shook her head. She watched with fascination as Sherry closed her eyes, inhaling a long drag.

"He hates smoking. So I only do it when he's gone." She said, her tone a little weary.

Lila looked around the kitchen. "This is nice. I wondered why I never saw you in the Cafeteria."

Sherry chuckled. Yeah, we can go down there whenever we want...but really it's just easier to stay up here. Since we get first pick of everything, it's pretty well stocked with whatever you want. Are you hungry?" She motioned for Lila to sit at a large rectangular oak table.

Lila shook her head. "I'm mostly overwhelmed. This is all so...sudden."

Sherry nodded in understanding. "Negan is...how should I phrase this? Intense is one word. I have to say I'm not shocked he asked you to become a wife. He's obviously enamored with you. And that was before you fucked him this afternoon."

"You...heard us? God... I'm so embarrassed." Lila's face turned beet red.

"Don't be. He's a beast in the bedroom...or office or...elevator apparently." She grinned as she set a glass of iced tea in front of her.

Lila looked at Sherry, surprised by how amused she was that Negan had been fucking another woman not twenty feet from her in the office, not to mention last night in the elevator. Then again, it wasn't like anything about the situation was normal.

"I hope I didn't cause any problems for you or any of the other wives...everything happened so quickly. Never in a million years did I think I'd find myself in such a situation." She said.

Sherry held up her hand, making Lila pause. "Please stop. Nobody is mad at you, believe me. Well, a couple of the girls might be a little jealous, there's obviously going to be some amount of hazing from the others if you accept his offer. But from the minute you walked in here, I could tell you were different. He came in this morning talking about you. Asked us if any of us knew you. He likes you...beyond your body. That isn't something I've seen from him since...me." She took a final drag off her cigarette before extinguishing it.

Lila rubbed at her temples. "So he's just married to all of you because he likes variety when it comes to fucking? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of marriage, especially to five or six women. Why not just screw whomever whenever if you're the boss?"

It was Sherry's turn to sigh. "Negan is...complicated. In the beginning, he did do that. And believe me, he loves to fuck. Hell...five wives and he still had it in him to fuck you. You might want to ask him, but I think it's a trust thing- he likes clear cut terms and boundaries. It helps keep order. Also, as he built up the group and Sanctuary, women were throwing themselves at him, trying to use him to get out of work, or extra rations or protection. And of course, he never said no. It got to be ridiculous."

"So how did you two get together? I mean...I don't mean to be nosy, but people talk and I've heard..." Lila stammered.

Sherry looked out the window for a minute, the past haunting her face.

"Yes...people will talk, Lila. And believe me...they are already talking about you. It's just something you have to be prepared for. I was married to Dwight before everything. We ended up here with my baby sister, Tina. It had been hard on the road-my sister was diabetic. Her meds were a problem- no matter how much we worked, we never seemed to earn enough points to do more than exist. Dwight was coming up in the ranks, and somewhere along the way Negan noticed me. I don't know if he knew Dwight and I were married at first, but he knew we were together. He was an impossible flirt. I think he though it was unfair that one of his underlings had something he didn't. And Dwight and I were in a bad place, the stress of everything...and Tina. One day Negan said to me, if you leave Dwight and marry me, I'll make sure you and them are taken care of. I need a woman...and you need my help. I talked to Dwight about it, and he agreed. He knew Negan would take care of me, and I'd be safe. Negan was honest about being a womanizer, he never forced me to have sex with him. He knew I still had feelings for Dwight. I think that's why he took another wife. I wasn't giving him what he wanted in the sexual sense. But I take care of everything else. Now I'm like a goddamn den mother." She sighed as she pulled out another cigarette.

"And then... Tina started getting attention from some of the other guys here. She was legal, but young...and I sheltered her too damn much. It was unwanted attention. Negan has a zero tolerance policy for rape, but that didn't mean there wasn't harassment going on, especially when he wasn't around. When I brought it up to him, his solution was to have her become a wife too." Sherry paused and took a deep drag off her cigarette.

Lila's mouth hung open in shock. "Your own sister?"

Sherry nodded. "In his fucked up mind, it was logical. If she was a wife, she was untouchable by all the others. She'd live here with me... And obviously he'd get something out of the deal. Knowing him like I do, I can see how he thought it was a good idea. A small part of me was grateful for the offer. He's always been good to me, even though he knows how I still feel about Dwight."

"What did your sister think?" Lila's voice was a whisper.

Sherry wiped away a couple of tears, a sad little laugh escaping. "She hit the roof. Told him to go to hell. Worse, she did it in front of a lot of people. Obviously Negan wasn't happy with how she disrespected him, so he told her that she was done sponging off me and she'd have to work for her meds and food like everybody else. Or marry him. The harassment got worse after that, even with Dwight trying to protect her. Dwight and Tina convinced me that we'd be better off on our own. A family again if we left. So when Negan was gone, we stole a truck, Tina's meds, and some supplies and left."

Even when she was in the infirmary, Lila heard whispers about how there was a zero tolerance policy for stealing. There was another guy in the room across from her that had his hand removed for trying to pocket two cases of cigarettes from one of the runs he went on.

"When we were out on the road, everything that could go wrong did. We were trying to get to the place we used to live before everything went south- Dwight had stashed a large tanker of fuel, and we figured it would be enough to get us far enough away that they would give up looking for us. We ran into this guy, thought he was from one of the outposts... Dwight tied him up and took his crossbow and gun. When we were looking for the fuel truck, Tina fainted. He got loose and took back his weapons and our bag of supplies..."

Sherry stood up and grabbed a bottle of wine from the fridge, pouring two glasses. Lila accepted it wordlessly. Reaching across the table, she gave Sherry's hand a small squeeze and tried to offer her a supportive smile.

"We had nothing, and Tina was getting worse. We tried to keep her hydrated. The guy who we had captured, snuck up on us, and gave us back her meds. That was when some of the Saviors almost found us... Negan had sent out a search party as soon as he got back. The guy lead us away from them- tried to convince us to come back to his settlement. We were going to- before...Tina..." Sherry broke down in tears.

Lila squeezed her hand again. She knew what was coming. "I'm so sorry Sherry." She whispered.

Sherry sobbed quietly for a moment. She finished her glass of wine and poured another before wiping her face.

"After Tina died...it all seemed so hopeless. She was the reason I left. We were in here too long, with too much protection. I knew it was only a matter of time before they found us. It would be better if we came back on our own and faced the consequences."

It was Lila's turn to finish off her wine. "What happened when you came back?"

"Negan gave me a choice. I could leave him and go to Dwight, but I'd be back on the points system, and I'd have to start at the bottom again. I don't have any real discernible skills...or I could choose to stay with him, but Dwight would be punished no matter what." She said.

 _His face._ Lila thought. _That's what happened to Dwight's face._

"So I chose the easy way out, naturally. Dwight actually encouraged it. He knew if I chose him our life would be hell. He's different now- I don't know who he's more mad at- himself, Tina, Me...he won't even look at me anymore. Negan has actually been pretty forgiving toward me, but I think he takes a special kind of delight in taking it out on Dwight."

Lila exhaled. Sherry had dumped a lot of information on her. While she felt badly for the woman, especially with what happened to her sister, she could see why Negan had to punish Dwight. He could have killed both of them, but he didn't. A lesser man would have.

Sherry looked exhausted. "Shit. I'm sorry I unloaded all of that on you. That really wasn't fair to you...and now you probably don't want to become a wife...shit shit shit..."

Lila looked at her. "It's okay. Am I the first person you told the whole story to?"

Sherry nodded. "Well...Besides Negan. Like I said, he's been pretty understanding, all things considered. It's nice having another woman to talk to- the other girls and I get along, but...I don't really relate to them...and a couple of them are pissed I tried to leave."

Lila nodded. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. But it doesn't effect how I feel about him. I actually like him...and I've never had sex like that before." She blushed.

"You mean mind blowing, life affirming, toe curling sex?" A scantily clad red head sauntered into the kitchen, smiling. "Yeah...he knows his way around an orgasm. I'm Amber." She said, holding out her hand.

Lila smiled and shook it. "Lila." She replied.

"Have you said yes yet?" Amber asked as she rummaged through their pantry.

Lila blushed. "He just asked me. I told him I'd think about it...I have some questions. And I wanted to meet all of you. Sherry was going to take me around and..."

"What's there to think about?" Amber interrupted. "No points, safety, food, and sex." She said, placing a hand on her hip. "Plus... We're like royalty up here... Do you have any idea how many women would kill to be in your shoes?"

Sherry stood up. "It's not always that simple, Amber. You of all people should know that."

The redhead shrugged and took a box of stale crackers back to her room.

###

Lila spent the rest of the afternoon and evening with Sherry, meeting the other wives and listening to their reasons for getting together with Negan. The longer she was there, the more she sort of felt sorry for him. It seemed like everybody had an angle they were working. They all agreed that Negan was an excellent provider, and a highly skilled lover, even if he had some quirks.

" _Do not try to kiss him on the mouth. He hates it..."_

 _"He gets really rough after he's been out dealing with a group..."_

 _"Don't expect to spend the night. He sleeps alone."_

 _"He's into threesomes, but only if he's the center of attention..."_

 _"Never ask about Lucille. And never put her on the ground. Treat her like a flag. Or a person."_

 _"Negan loves oral...I mean...really loves oral. Getting it, giving it..."_

Lila had to chuckle at that last comment. It was one she could personally attest to. Overall, she still wasn't sure what she should do. She liked him, and they were incredible in bed together. But was that enough to build a relationship on?

It was well past midnight when she said goodnight to the wives. They asked her to sleepover, but she needed some time to herself to think on her decision. She closed the door to the apartment and nodded at the guard standing outside.

As she made her way downstairs, she almost ran into Negan who had paused just below her floor, his breathing slightly labored. Her breath caught as she looked him over.

He had a faraway look in his eyes, almost haunted. There was dried blood on his face, and Lucille hung in his hand. He looked physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Lila." He whispered. "Where are you going?" His brow wrinkled.

"Back to my room. Are you okay?" She asked.

Negan didn't answer right away. "Some assholes attacked one of our outposts. Killed everyone in their sleep. Everyone..." He trailed off.

"Come with me." She grabbed his hand and lead him to her tiny room. She was grateful for the single space, especially now. Turning on her battery powered camping lanterns, the room was illuminated in a low glowing light. Negan was still silent.

"Sit down." She said, motioning to her twin mattress. She had a pitcher of water and a bowl on her dresser. Grabbing her washcloth, she poured some water in the bowl and soaked it.

Negan sat there silently as Lila cleaned him up, gently washing his face and hands. She gently pried Lucille from his hands and placed her on her dresser. She helped him take his jacket off, and lifted his shirt over his head.

She stepped into the space between his knees, looking down at him with concern. Carding her fingers through his hair, she felt him sigh against her stomach. He wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his head against her stomach.

"I need you, Lila." He whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Oh my gosh! Thank you for all of the love this story has received over the past few weeks. I cannot believe all of the lovely reviews, comments and PM's. I esp. Want to say thank you to those of you following and commenting from ch.1. It means the world. I'm sorry this one took so long, but I wanted it to be the best for you, Lila and Negan. Also, I finally updated my other story, so Connor and Murphy left me alone for a bit so I could get into Negan's head some more. I hope I do him justice-really trying to walk the line of my own interpretations and canon based information. Looking forward to your feedback! Xoxo. Also, please follow me on tumblr for visual inspirations related to this and my other fics. I'm StrangersAngel9.**

 **Also: Brief Trigger Warning of Violence Aganist Women in the second half of the chapter. Proceed with caution if this bothers you.**

* * *

I _need you._

Negan's whispered plea echoed through Lila's mind.

"I'm here, Negan." She replied.

The grip on her waist tightened as he lifted his head and looked at her with pain in his eyes. She ran a hand through his hair again, trying to soothe the torment raging beneath the exhaustion. He closed his eyes, sighing as he willed himself to accept tenderness he didn't deserve. His jaw tightened as his thoughts drifted back to the outpost. Dozens of his people slaughtered in their sleep, like it was nothing. Many had been left to turn. He felt powerless. He needed to regain control.

"Lila..." He whispered.

She looked down at him, blinking slowly. Her expression was a combination of concern and something he couldn't place. Pity? Sympathy? He couldn't have her feeling sorry for him. He was the king shit and he needed to remind himself that he was in control. Flexing his shoulders, the hairs on the back of his neck stood as he saw Lila shiver in response. Her eyes darkened, and lips parted as he slid a hand slowly up her side, his thumb grazing the underside of her breast.

"I won't be gentle..." He warned.

Her breath caught, but her gaze never faltered. It wasn't like their previous encounters had been soft or romantic, but a part of her knew that this would be different if he felt compelled to warn her.

Lila cradled his face in her hands. She gently smoothed the wrinkles from his brow. As she bent down, he instinctively moved his face back, worried she was going to try to kiss him on the mouth. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, as her lips hovered near the shell of his ear.

"Take what you need..." She whispered.

Negan stood suddenly, causing Lila to stumble back as he towered over her. His eyes were almost black, his muscles taut with a burning tension, and all of his energy was now focused on her.

He tugged roughly at her shirt.

"All of it off. Now." He commanded.

Lila complied, watching as he unbuckled his belt and removed his pants.

"Faster." His voice was low and clipped.

She scrambled to remove all of her lingerie, knowing he'd probably rip it if he had to wait any longer. He sat on the edge of her bed, naked with his legs spread open. She stood a few feet away, her gaze lowered.

"Crawl to me." He ordered.

Lila crawled silently across the concrete floor. Negan followed her movements, his cock hardening as he took in the length of her body. He loved the way her breasts jiggled as she moved closer, until she was kneeling in between his legs, awaiting his next command. He appreciated her silence. Quiet wasn't something he had very often. It was almost scary, the way she seemed to know exactly what he needed.

"Just your mouth." He said, his eyes lowering to his half hard cock.

Lila wrapped her lips around the tip of his member, fighting the urge to smile as she heard him sigh deeply in relief. She didn't need a semester of freshman psych to know what this was. Negan needed to regain the feelings of power and control after having them taken away by some nameless, faceless group. She knew this wasn't about her. And a part of her was getting off on being ordered around by someone who swore he wouldn't harm her. There was an exchange of trust happening she couldn't quite articulate, especially with Negan's dick between her lips.

She pulled him deeper into her mouth, hollowing her cheeks as she swirled her tongue around him.

"Fuck...just like that..." He groaned. His hand clasped at the back of her neck, tugging and pushing on her scalp as he pumped his long, thick shaft in and out of her mouth. She tried to relax her throat as best she could, but he kept hitting her gag reflex, which only added to watery mess of her face. She looked up at him briefly, earning a rumbling groan as they made eye contact. Her hands were pressed to the floor, stabilizing her movements as she bobbed her head up and down. She longed to run a hand over the hard planes of his torso, or wrap her arms around his legs, but resisted.

Lila steadied herself as she heard his breathing become more and more labored. With a deep breath, she pushed him further down her throat, surprising both of them when she didn't gag. Her throat constricted around him, almost pulsing with tension. She desperately wanted to touch herself, but didn't feel right doing so without his say so. Right now was about him. It only made her clit harder to think about Negan granting her permission to come. A deep and guttural moan escaped her mouth and reverberated against his shaft.

"Fucking, fuck, fuck! I can't hold back..." He growled, his eyes squeezed shut as he desperately tried to maintain control. His hips moved of their own accord as her lower lip lightly touched the top of his sack. It was that smallest of touches that sent him careening over the edge, spurting down her throat and across her face as he suddenly pulled out, gasping and groaning while convulsions of pleasure relaxed his body.

Lila collapsed between his legs, lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. She could hear Negan struggling to catch his breath just as much as she was. She silently wiped her face and gave his softening cock a couple of kitten licks in an attempt to clean them both up a bit. He looked down at her with wonder and admiration as she offered him a small but proud smile.

Wordlessly, he picked her up off the floor, his large hands reaching under her arms to pull her onto the tiny bed. He maneuvered their limbs together so that she was splayed against his side, her head pillowed between his arm and shoulder. Lila smiled as she felt his lips ghost across the top of her head. She traced a line down the center of his chest with her fingertip until his hand circled her wrist, stopping the motion.

"I thought the world was done surprising me, doll." His words reverberated against her temple as he stroked her hair.

Lila lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Negan chuckled softly, the tempo more reflective than humorous. "You...you're making me feel things I didn't think I was capable of, in this world...or before. I don't do...whatever the fuck this is, normally. Yet here I am...cuddled up against you like a goddamn fool."

Her cheeks reddened as she took in what he was saying. She lifted her head again, "If it makes you feel any better...I'm in uncharted territory too. My last boyfriend was a warm body...and a lukewarm one at that. Mentally...physically...it was all just so...mechanical, so...blah. I suppose it's different for men and women. Anyway- It ended way before everything went to hell." She smiled a little sadly. "Like I said earlier, I'm used to being alone."

Negan stared at the girl in his arms. She deserved so much more than...blah. _She deserved more than him._ He thought. _But I'm all that's left._

"When I'm with you..." She whispered. "My skin tingles..."

Negan smiled against her cheek as he felt her fingers dance across his chest.

"My blood sings..." Lila's hand drifted further south.

His cock twitched in response. Negan rolled over so he was hovering above her, his eyes sparkling with humor.

"And your pussy floods..." He finished with a grin.

Lila shook her head and giggled as Negan kissed and nuzzled his way down her abdomen.

"Let's see if I'm right..." He smiled wickedly as he parted her legs.

His breath caught as he stroked a long finger along her slit.

"Oh...how I do love being right." His voice soft and raspy.

Lila groaned as Negan's tongue made a long leisurely pass against her swollen bud, teasing her desire. He thrust the tip of his tongue inside her briefly, earning a full body shudder. Her eyes rolled back as he exhaled, his breath nearly sending her over the edge. She circled her hips, trying to make contact with some part of his face.

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk...not yet, sweetheart. Trust me, you'll know when to scream my name..." He said.

Lila sighed as he pulled away, sitting up to look over her naked form. Her breathing became more shallow as she tried to anticipate his next move. A large hand ran the length of her body, marveling at the softness of her skin.

"Negan..." She gasped.

"Shhh..." He said.

He stretched her arms above her head before bending down to pay tribute to her breasts. They weren't much more than a handful, but he appreciated how responsive they were to his touch. The scruff of his beard rubbed against her aroused and hardened peaks in all the right ways. His lips and tongue pulled her into his warm wet mouth, the sensation sending a wildfire into her belly.

"Oh...fuck!" She cried. "Please...I'm so close...stop teasing me!" She begged.

Negan's laughter rumbled through her chest. "But it's so damn entertaining!" He said before flattening his palm against her mound. Lila growled in response.

"And I know, baby...how much you wanted to touch yourself while you were sucking me off...I have to say I was damn impressed with your restraint." His thumb circled her hardened clit again, before he inserted two fingers, stroking slowly. "So close...you can almost taste it, right?" He grinned as he offered her his fingers wet with her slick. Her mouth surrounded them, making him groan.

Negan pressed his forehead against her temple. "I think you earned a sound fucking...hmm? What do you think, doll?" He nibbled on her ear as she heard him feel around on the floor, looking for the condom in his pants pocket. She smiled as she heard him tear open the foil package.

A moment later, he pushed his hips against hers. Lila arched into him and hooked a leg behind his back. He reached between them and lined himself up, entering her with a powerful thrust. She gasped loudly as her fingers dug into his back and shoulders when he hit bottom.

"Jesus, Lila..." He grunted.

She bit her lip as she answered his thrust with one of her own. "Fuck... Negan..."

He pulled almost completely out before slamming back into her, setting an aggressive tempo. Her body reacted almost immediately, flooding her bloodstream with endorphins as her long delayed orgasm took hold.

Her moans and cries soared as she bucked in his arms, chanting his name incoherently.

Something between a chuckle and a grunt escaped his mouth as he pumped through her first orgasm. Her clit had been so engorged, he knew it would be easy to get it out of her. Now he wanted to bend her to his will while overwhelming her with pleasure.

His large frame completely surrounded her, dulling her senses to anything but his heat, the staccato bursts of his breath against her neck, and the scent of him- leather, pine and a heady combination of his natural musk and the iron tinged remnants of blood. Her lips dragging across his neck was almost his undoing as she clenched around him.

Pulling out suddenly, Negan knelt back and lifted Lila off the bed, flipping her onto her stomach. "Knees up, ass in the air, doll. Shit's about to get real." He drawled.

Lila giggled as she complied. Her head was swimming with pleasure, and she knew it was only going to get better as Negan entered her from behind. Stars exploded behind her eyelids as the head of his cock hit the magical bundle of nerves that had remained hidden from all of her other lovers.

"Goddamn, Lila... You feel so fucking good..." He groaned.

His grip on her waist tightened as she circled her hips back against him. She pushed up on her elbows, arching her back. She felt like she was floating as her brain focused only on the sensation of Negan filling her up.

His rhythm faltered slightly as his eyes fell on her scars. Any man from her group would pay for letting that happen, he thought. He smacked her ass before she could notice his distraction, earning an appreciative groan.

Negan leaned back on his shins and pulled Lila up, pressing her back to his chest. He wrapped a forearm under her breasts, holding her steady as he felt her clench around his cock. Rubbing the scruff of his beard against her neck earned him a high pitched sigh and a circle of her hips.

"Oh, God!" She wailed.

"No, sweetheart... Negan..." He growled in her ear. "Let me feel you come all over my cock."

Lila's whole body shuddered as he nibbled on her earlobe just before he snapped his hips. As with him, it was that smallest touch that sent her over the edge. Her back arched as she writhed in his grasp. A choked sob of relief escaped her as she flooded both of them with her juices.

"Yes...Lila!...Get me all wet..." He grunted. Negan came with a burst of pride as he felt her orgasm begin to wane. He sighed as she fell limp in his arms, with his cock softening inside her.

"You still with me, doll?" His voice was low and sleepy.

Lila hummed affirmatively, sighing as they disengaged. Negan sat up with his back against the wall, her thin sheet covering him from the waist down. She looked down at the wet spot on her bed and blushed.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about. That right there is a sign of a damn good time." He grinned as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

She got up and grabbed her only spare towel and placed it over the spot before curling up on the bed. He watched her face as her eyes drifted away deep in thought. He wasn't good at this stuff-the after, but a small part of him wanted to be, for her. Negan was self aware enough to realize exactly what she had done for him.

Lila let out a small sigh. She knew he wasn't keen on cuddling, but really wished he'd at least touch her. She had a thin blanket draped across her middle.

"This is a small fucking bed...or is it a bed too small for fucking?" Negan laughed at his own stupid joke.

Lila chuckled softly and turned her gaze to him. "I think we did okay..." She said, placing her hand on his thigh.

Negan smiled and picked up her hand, pressing it in between his palms. "If we only did okay, we might need to try it again..." He said as he raised a brow.

"Hmmm..." Lila buried her face in the mattress before turning to look at him again. "Ok. But I need sleep first." She smiled up at him.

"Go to sleep, doll." He said. "I have to go, but I'll stay for a bit..."

Lila smiled before she shut her eyes and drifted off, exhausted in every way.

When she was asleep, Negan couldn't resist the urge to smooth her hair across the pillow, tracing his fingers through her sex-mussed hair. She looked so peaceful. The light from the battery powered camping lantern cast them in a dim orange glow. _What the fuck are you doing to me?_ He thought. _Maybe my infatuation will wane once she is a wife. I can't have my head up my ass thinking about her all the damn time. I got caught with my dick in my hand with the whole outpost thing...the last thing I need is to be worrying about somebody else. I've got two hundred people counting on me to keep their sorry asses alive. Sex is supposed to be uncomplicated. So why the fuck am I sitting in this tiny ass bed playing with her hair?_

Negan was about to get up and leave when Lila stirred, her brow furrowing as her dream turned on her.

"No! Don't! Please!" She cried out, thrashing against the mattress. "Take me instead...I'll go instead...leave them...leave them..." She pleaded.

He was paralyzed watching her. He knew everyone had nightmares these days, it was one of the reasons he insisted on sleeping alone. He never wanted anybody to use what he said or did in his sleep against him. That and he figured at least one of his wives might try to slit his throat at some point.

Lila let out a series of agonized cries, as if she were re-living her torture. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Doll! Wake up, Sweetheart. Shhh...you're safe now. I promise." He shook her as gently as possible, trying to extract her from the nightmare world in her head. "Come back to me, Lila..."

Her body shook as her mind woke up. "Negan?" She said, her voice small in the dark.

"I'm here, doll. That fucker is dead. You're safe. I promise." He said softly.

Lila wiped at the corner of her eyes, letting out a small sniffle. "It felt so real." She said. "It always feels so fucking real."

Negan shifted on the small bed, pulling her into his arms. He was still sitting up, holding her so her head rested comfortably against his chest. She looked up with surprise and shock in her eyes.

"Try to go back to sleep. I'll stay a little longer. I have a meeting in the morning, so don't be surprised when I'm gone. I gotta get to the bottom of what the fuck happened at the outpost. You go to work in the garage and I'll come find you or send for you later." He said.

Lila nodded against his chest. "Okay. Thank you. For staying...for everything." She murmured.

The last thing she felt before falling asleep was Negan's lips ghosting across the top of her forehead.

###

Negan grabbed Lucille and snuck out of Lila's room as the sun began to rise over the factory. This was his second night without decent sleep, and he could already feel he was going to be on a short fuse today. Hopefully he could get his lieutenants up to speed and organized before catching a few hours of alone time in his inner sanctum. Lila's bed was microscopic compared to his four poster California King. He had briefly toyed with the idea of taking her upstairs last night, but had concluded it would have caused way too many issues with his existing wives. He didn't need that shit anymore than he needed a hole in the head.

Amber was waiting in the parlor when he opened the door to the apartment. She was wearing a very revealing nightgown and a scowl. Negan groaned. This was the last thing he needed this morning.

"Long night? I heard you got back around midnight..." She asked with a hint of annoyance. "Were you with your new plaything? Convince her to say yes yet?" She said, thrusting her pelvis against the couch in jest.

Negan shot her a withering look. "I am not doing this now, Amber. Hell, I'm not doing this ever! My whereabouts are none of your fucking business...unless I have summoned you. Until then...Shut the fuck up and get me a cup of coffee!" He barked before retreating to his office.

A few moments later, Sherry entered his office with a steaming cup of black coffee. "Amber said you're in a mood. Anything I can do to help?" She asked.

"Yeah. Keep the girls the fuck away from me today. I have a metric shit ton to take care of and I'm going on day two with little to no sleep." He said as he looked over the inventory sheets for the infirmary.

"And tell whoever is stationed out front I want to call a meeting in 40 minutes. Conference room."

Sherry nodded and closed the door on her way out. Something had definitely crawled up Negan's ass this morning. _Had Lila turned him down? That couldn't be it,_ she thought. _He usually uses a rejection as an excuse to fuck more than one wife at a time_.

###

Lila sat up with a jolt. This was the second day in a row she didn't hear her alarm. She hoped Pete wouldn't be too mad at her once she explained herself. They had a pretty strong working relationship, despite her being the only female mechanic.

She rushed down the hall with her bag of toiletries and took a quick shower, rinsing off all the sin left behind the night before. The tepid water cascaded down in rivulets from her hair, sending a shiver down her spine almost as good as a caress from Negan. I hope I'm not walking funny. She thought. Two days of rigorous sex and she felt like she had run a marathon. Wrapping a towel around herself, she walked quickly back to her room.

 _My room smells like a whorehouse._ She thought with a laugh. _I hope I have enough points to do some laundry later._

Lila dressed quickly, donning a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. She smiled when she put the lacy bra on underneath, the silk and lace reminding her of Negan's intense stare when she modeled it the day before. _Was that only yesterday?_ She thought. Making her way to the cafeteria, there were whispers as she waited in line for her food. When she made her way to the front, she smiled at the lady in charge of keeping track of the points.

"Hi, Betty. Can you tell me if I have enough points to do some laundry later?" Lila smiled.

The older woman scoffed. "Yeah, I'd say so. You have over five thousand points. I guess we know what the going rate is for fucking the boss in the elevator." Lila turned bright red as she heard anyone within earshot laugh. She was too stunned to respond, so she took her tray and sat at the end of a table alone.

She tried to keep her expression blank as she ate for the first time in almost 24 hours. But there were snippets of comments that were making her blood boil.

" _I heard she wasn't that good...I mean, he obviously didn't make her a wife so..."_

 _"Do you think she broke the elevator on purpose?"_

 _"They were so loud! I swear I heard them from my tent outside!"_

It reminded her of high school. _Maybe I should talk to Negan...but how would that go?_ She thought. _Sherry would probably have better advice. The last thing that would endear her to the other workers would be running to her...her what? Boss? Boyfriend? Lover? Fiancé? Ugh._ She sighed.

After finishing her meal as quickly as possible, Lila made her way to the garage.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in..." Pete said. He smiled but his voice held some tension.

Lila offered Pete a small smile. "Sorry I overslept today, boss. My alarm didn't go off."

"Uh-huh..." The older man narrowed his eyes. "Well, best get to it, girly. We have a new truck that needs a shitload of work. Big man wants it fortified, so we'll need to remove all the interior panels and shit so they can put in the sheet metal. We'll also need to adjust the engine and the tire size to accommodate the additional weight. Specs are at your work station."

Lila nodded. At least this sounded like an interesting project. She loved getting lost in her work, and today seemed like the perfect day to do so. The snide comments of the women in the cafeteria were still swimming in her head.

"I gotta head upstairs for a bit...Negan called a meeting with all the department heads. You are in charge until I get back. Tito is replacing the transmission on one of the SUV's, Graham is headed next door to change the oil on the spare set of motorcycles, and Gino is swapping out the tires on the Jeep, the Bronco and the 300." He said.

"Got it. See you in a bit." She replied.

The day went by quickly, with Lila getting engrossed in her project for Pete. It was rare for him to be included in planning meetings, so something big must be going on related to the incident at the outpost. Halfway through her shift, she walked out to check on Graham, who had finished changing the oil in three of the six motorcycles. She liked working with him, he was quiet and always got the job done. Tito was somewhat new to the garage, but seemed eager to learn. Gino was a bit unpredictable. A month ago, Pete had almost come to blows with him when he came back from lunch drunk. Luckily, today seemed to be a low maintenance day in the drama department.

Lila smiled as she wheeled herself out from under the truck. The rough start to her day had almost been forgotten as she leaned against the fender and took a swig from her water bottle. She walked through the garage, checking on the progress of the other mechanics.

"Great work on that transmission, Tito. You handled that like a pro." She said. "Can you help Graham with the motorcycles? I think he has two left."

"Sure thing, Lila." He smiled.

Lila sighed as she looked at the grease under her fingernails. "This will take forever to scrub out. How are those tires coming, Gino?"

No answer. His work bay was at the end of the small warehouse that had been converted into a garage. "Gino?" She called. Sometimes he would wear headphones.

Suddenly, Lila was pushed roughly against the front hood of the Chrysler 300. She caught the strong whiff of alcohol against her neck. Her breath caught as a hand covered her mouth.

"You missed two days of work and you think you can fucking check up on me? I heard you in the elevator the other night-moaning like a whore. Were you fakin' it for the boss man? Cuz I'm sure I can make you scream louder than that." Gino slurred against her neck as he pawed at her chest, ripping her t-shirt.

Lila tried to break free of his grasp, shoving her elbows back. He grabbed her arms above the elbow and pulled back, blocking her attack. She cried out loudly in pain as he bent her over, laughing as her cheek hit the hood of the car hard. She desperately hoped Tito or Graham would hear her from next door.

"You think you're so much better than me...obviously not if you're still working in here instead of on your knees upstairs...maybe with a little practice, the boss will give you another shot." He growled as he slammed his hips against her ass.

Lila cringed as she felt his erection rub against her. _This was not happening. Growing up in a male dominated business, she had her fair share of cat calls and ass grabbers- both customers and mechanics who thought that shit was okay. Her father and older brothers were always quick to step in and handle the situation. Think Lila...what would they do?_

The sound of Gino grunting as he struggled to hold onto her while attempting to unzip his pants broke her from her thoughts. From somewhere deep in her head she heard her older brother whisper, "Use your head, Lila!" _The human head is one of the hardest parts of the body_. He was always telling her random shit.

With all her strength, Lila snapped up and slammed her head backwards, praying she'd catch Gino in the face. The sound of cartilage snapping echoed in her head as she felt him release the vice-like grip on her arms. She felt hot blood from his nose splatter on the back of her neck.

"You crazy bitch! You broke my nose!" He yelped.

Taking advantage of him still being dazed, she twisted around and shoved him hard, knocking them both down onto the hard concrete.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she repeatedly slammed her fists into his face.

"You think you're the first asshole to try and touch me without my permission?" She yelled as she kept hitting him. "You don't know a goddamn thing!"

Gino groaned as he looked at her with blood soaked eyes. His face became an outlet for all of the terrible things she had endured since the world went to shit.

Negan and Pete walked into the garage heard the sounds of someone groaning in pain. They exchanged glances as a small sob came from the corner of the building.

"Lila?" Negan called out.

"Over here. By the 300." Her voice was horse and shaky.

Their eyes widened as they rounded the car and found Lila sitting on top of a bruised and bloodied Gino, holding the point of a long screwdriver under his chin. She smacked his cheek, keeping the drunk and injured man awake. He groaned again as he tried to focus on the two figures standing above him.

Negan took in her ripped shirt and tear stained face, his jaw tightening along with his grip on Lucille.

"What-what fucking happened?" Negan's loud voice echoed through the garage. "Where are the other two fucks you work with?"

Lila looked up at Negan and Pete, slightly dazed from hitting her head against Gino and the adrenaline leaving her system. "In the other building working on the bikes. Tito finished his job early...So I had him go help Graham."

Pete nodded at Negan before heading out the door to find them.

Lila smacked Gino's face again, making him groan. "No! You don't get to sleep, fucker. That would be too good for you." She said through gritted teeth.

Negan felt a surge of pride mixing with his rage. "Looks like you have the situation under control, doll. Even though I'm kind of turned on right now, remind me never to piss you off."

Lila offered a small chuckle, appreciating his effort to lighten the mood. Negan put a hand out and pulled her up. _She shouldn't have to touch that fucker for another second._ He thought.

"Now, let me be a Gentleman and help you take out the trash, seeing as you did all the heavy lifting." Negan's eyes darkened as he looked over the piece of shit laying on the floor. He gave Gino a swift kick to the groin, smirking when the man wailed in agony.

Pete and the other two mechanics returned in time to see Negan's well placed kick.

"Are you going to kill him?" She asked.

"I'd be happy to right now if that's what you want." he said.

Lila stared off into space and shrugged.

Negan's mind spun out of control. Just last night he had told her she was safe, and not twelve hours later, she was attacked by one of their own.

"Shit! Lila, we're so sorry..." Tito said before Negan held up a gloved hand, silencing his apology.

"I've got an idea." He said as he walked over and poked at the drunk man's stomach with the end of Lucille.

"You...you are going to be a cautionary tale. Might as well put you to some use." Negan said before kicking him again.

Lila was hugging her chest, trying to wrap the torn pieces of her shirt together. She still had that faraway look in her eyes as Negan took off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"You three take this sack of shit to the holding cells. Tell them to keep him alive. I have plans for this fucker. I'm gonna take Miss Sugar Ray Leonard here over to the infirmary." He said.

Pete and the others nodded. "Sure thing, Boss."

###

Negan put an arm around Lila as they made their way to the infirmary. Several people stopped and stared openly or scurried out of the way as they took in her disheveled state and the rage percolating in their leader's eyes. Gossip around the factory was sure to be active tonight.

"Carson, stop whatever the fuck you're doing. You need to take a look at her." He said as he waltzed into the small clinic.

Lila leaned against the doorframe, unfocused on her surroundings.

"What happened?" Asked the doctor.

Negan was dying of curiosity as well. He had his theories, but wanted to hear it from her.

"I was attacked by one of my co-workers. There was an odor of alcohol. He physically overpowered me, pushing me into the hood of a car. When I tried to break his grasp, he held my arms behind my back above the elbow. I think he grabbed my neck and smashed my face into the hood...my cheek hurts." Her voice was clinical and dispassionate.

Carson nodded and encouraged her to continue as Negan paced the small room. _That fucker was going to pay_. He thought.

"I could feel him rubbing against me, but I couldn't move. I...I tried to think of what I could do to escape his grasp. When he was fumbling with his belt, I threw my head back as hard as I could, hitting him in the face. It feels like there's a bump forming..." She said, rubbing at the base of her skull.

Negan's eyes widened as he looked at her head, cursing himself for not noticing the blood in her hair.

"Do you feel nauseous? Is your vision blurred?" Carson turned on a mini flashlight and held it up to her eyes, studying her pupils.

Lila shook her head. "No. It just hurts...like a throbbing, dull pain. After I hit him with my head, I slammed into him, taking us to the ground. His body broke my fall, but my shoulder hurts."

Carson nodded. "That's to be expected. I'm going to look over a few places, ok? I want to check your bruises. Negan, you might want to-"

"I'm not leaving this room, Carson!" He growled.

Lila didn't object. Even though she had saved herself, Negan's presence was comforting.

Carson took some notes on a chart before holding up Lila's hands. Her knuckles were bloody and raw. "This was from today?" He asked.

She nodded. "I guess I forgot the best part..." She said, letting out a small chuckle.

The doctor let out a nervous laugh. "Well, I'd say you did everything right to defend yourself, Lila. You're going to need to take it easy for a few days...I'm sure I don't have to tell you that as the adrenaline in your systems wears off, the pain will increase. You don't appear to have a concussion, but just to be on the safe side make sure you stay up for a few hours. Apply a cool compress to your head. I'm going to give you some medication for the pain and swelling. Make sure you eat something with the pills. This is not the time to conserve points." he said.

"That won't be a problem, Doc." Negan said firmly. "She's with me. Give her whatever she needs."

Lila gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She said softly.

Negan felt a spark of hope that she was coming back to herself. He offered her a smile before slapping Carson on the back.

"Good job, Doc. Now make me a little care package so I can finish taking care of her myself"

Carson nodded and left the room.

Negan strode across the small space, lifting a cautious hand to cradle her cheek. She leaned into his chest wordlessly. "Come on, bad ass. Let's get you upstairs."

Lila lifted her head to look up at him. "My room?" She asked.

He shook his head. "My room."

"Good. Mine smells like a whorehouse." The corner of her mouth turned up slightly.

Negan erupted into a full belly laugh as Carson returned with a small bag containing her medication and extra bandages.

###

The sanctuary was nearly silent as they made their way towards the elevator that brought them together. He offered to carry her, but Lila insisted she was fully capable of walking. Negan had been assured that the problem had been fixed, but he wasn't willing to chance it. He really needed to get Lila upstairs and he really needed some alone time.

"Fuck it." He said. "This elevator gets stuck again and it will be Lucille who deals out the discipline."

Luckily, they made it to the top floor without incident.

Negan opened the door to the apartment and breathed a sigh of relief when Sherry was the only one sitting in the parlor.

She took one look at Lila and leapt up. "What the hell happened to her?"

"Not now." He replied. "Can you get some ice and bring it to my quarters?"

Sherry nodded and hurried away.

Lila followed Negan into his office. She watched as he walked to the far side of the room and opened another door, holding it open for her.

Negan's bedroom was a sight to behold. The dimly lit room was dominated by a large four poster mahogany bed, covered in expensive looking blood red sheets and dozens of pillows. He watched as her eyes darted around the room, taking in his personal space.

"This must go over well." She said.

"What do you mean?" He said. "I never bring anyone in here."

Lila turned and stared at him. "Where do you...spend time with your wives?"

Negan chuckled. "Wherever the fuck I want. In the office mostly. The parlor...their room... I think I might have a spare room somewhere...this is my space."

He watched as a marathon of emotions crossed her face as her brain processed the information.

A soft knock from the office broke the spell. Negan opened the door and took a bowl of ice from Sherry. "No fucking interruptions. Unless the building is on fire or something." He said before closing the door to the office and locking it.

Lila sat on the edge of Negan's bed. She was staring into space again as he walked back into the room, holding the bowl of ice.

"You want to take a bath?" He asked.

She looked up in surprise. "You have a tub?"

Negan cupped her cheek. "Baby, I've got everything you need."

Lila wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry. She was exhausted in every way.

"Let me take care of you, doll. You took care of me." He said.

###


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you thank you for all of the love for this story! I really appreciate every new comment, favorite and follow. Its been a busy month for me- just started a new consulting gig... and I hope this chapter will tie everyone over while I say hello to Connor and Murphy for a bit. Totally inspired by the latest footage of Negan from Comic Con...and I look forward to hearing what y'all think of my latest chapter. A big thank you to my beta Sam for being the best person ever to bounce things off of. Come say hello to me on Tumblr: StrangersAngel9. xoxo...hang in loves! Only 3 months until season 7! Eep!**

* * *

It had been two days since Negan had brought Lila upstairs. Sherry had been the only one of his wives allowed into his office. She was the only one who knew for sure that Lila was in his bedroom. Rumors about what had happened had spread around the compound, even to the mostly isolated wives. On the rare occasion Negan emerged from his rooms, none of the other wives ventured to ask him about it directly, trying to pry the information out of Sherry instead.

It was mid afternoon on day two when Carson had been summoned and ushered into the office quickly. Negan's voice could be heard through the thick doors.

"What do you mean you don't fucking know?!" He bellowed.

Carson's reply was inaudible. A large object being thrown against the wall caused most of the women look up from whatever they were doing.

"Sounds like his new plaything is broken." Amber quipped. One of the other wives snickered.

"That's enough, Amber! You have no idea what Lila went through." Sherry admonished.

Amber rolled her eyes. "Please. We've all been through terrible shit. What makes her so goddamn special? She isn't even a wife. Why are you sticking up for her?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." Sherry tried her best to keep her voice as even as possible.

"Since when have you ever cared about that?" Amber scoffed.

"Come on, girls. He's got a lot going on at the moment. We should make something good for dinner. He hasn't eaten anything in ages." The wives dutifully followed Sherry into the kitchen, knowing that staying on the right side of her was almost as important as staying on the right side of Negan.

While the wives were busy cooking, Carson had returned to the infirmary. Sherry knocked on the door to the office softly before ducking inside.

"Sher?" Negan's voice was quieter than she had ever remembered hearing it. He was sitting on the sofa, nursing a large glass of bourbon. Lucille was propped between his legs, her handle acting as an odd crutch, something for him to lean his forearm against.

The dying light of early evening cut angular shadows across his already haggard face. The door to his bedroom was open. Sherry could see Lila, her pale frame looked so small as she lay asleep in a nest of pillows like something out of a fucked up fairytale.

"What did Carson say?" She asked.

Negan took a generous swig of his drink. "That her symptoms are typical with a moderate to severe concussion. But he isn't 100% certain because we don't have a fucking ultrasound or MRI or some medical shit I have no fucking clue about. Her vitals are supposedly normal. But she won't fucking wake up. We were talking yesterday and she just…she was just out."

Sherry nodded solemnly. "She's strong. Her body just needed to rest. You can wear a girl out, you know." She said, offering him a small smile.

Negan chuckled softly. "You made a joke for me, Sher? Now I know I look like shit."

It was Sherry's turn to chuckle. "The girls and I made dinner. Believe it or not, I think they miss you. And you need to eat something. You'll need your strength for when she wakes up." She said, taking the now empty bourbon glass from his hand.

Negan grabbed her wrist. "Thank you, Sher. For everything.

Sherry was temporarily stunned by Negan's expression of gratitude. She had seen him vulnerable and quiet before, but never like this. While she knew some of it had to do with Lila, she wondered how much of it was influenced by stress from outside the sanctuary. Word had spread about the outpost, and she knew Negan would devote everything he had to tracking down the group that had attacked the outpost in the dead of night.

"Come on. Let's get you fed." She smiled, pulling on his arm.

Negan stood and stretched, his eyes immediately finding Lila's sleeping form. He crossed into the bedroom and leaned over the bed, changing out the cold compress on her forehead.

"Back in a bit, doll." He whispered before letting his fingers drift across her cheek.

Sherry watched as he shut the door to his bedroom and re-entered the office. His expression changed as he mentally prepared for leaving the safety of his rooms. He took a deep breath before opening the double doors to the parlor.

###

"Negan!" A chorus of feminine coos and giggles filled the kitchen as he leaned against the counter.

"So what did you girls whip up? I'm fucking starving!" He grinned. The bourbon was working its magic, dulling his senses.

Amber guided him to the chair at the head of the table.

"Did you want to start with dessert?" She asked, batting her eyelashes.

Negan chuckled. _I wonder what she wants._ He thought. "Naw, doll. Like I said, I'm starvin Marvin over here. I need fuel." He said, rubbing his belly.

One of the other wives set a generous bowl of spaghetti and grilled chicken on the table, along with a fresh garden salad. The meat and produce was courtesy of Hilltop, and for a moment it was easy to forget all of the bullshit and just eat. At least until he noticed all of the women just pushing the food around on their plates.

"Come on, girls. Eat with me. None of you are anywhere near fat, so stop eating like we're all on the worst first date ever." He said.

Sherry rolled her eyes as she poked at a piece of chicken. "You're such a smooth talker."

Negan winked at her. "Damn right, Sher-Bear."

The other wives made sure his plate and wine glass were never empty, laughing at his terrible jokes and stroking his ego. He needed it after the shitty week he had. After a few helpings and some shameless flirting, Negan was feeling more like himself. _I'm someone powerful, a problem solver, a provider._ He had convinced five women to eat normal sized portions of carbs. He could do anything.

Sherry excused herself when Amber and Kayla, one of the other wives decided it was time to model all of their newest lingerie in the parlor. She knew where the evening was headed. Part of her expected it, after all Negan would never turn down sex.

But the other part of her was angry and frustrated. It was obvious that Negan had real feelings for Lila. She didn't know if Amber was fucking him just so it would mess with Lila, or if she just missed sex. _It had only been a couple of days,_ Sherry thought.

When she had arrived, Amber had been all too happy to accept Negan's proposal, much to her previous husband's dismay when they joined the Saviors. Sherry had thought they might have been kindred spirits, but her and Amber never seemed to click. She wasn't sure what Amber's motivations were, but either way, she was staying the fuck out of it.

"Mmm, Negan...your shoulders are so tense!" Kayla sighed as she massaged his shoulders.

He groaned as he felt the muscles relax. _I deserve to be pampered._ He thought as he leaned back on a chaise lounge.

Amber came out of her room wearing a light pink transparent nightgown, holding another glass of bourbon. "You need to relax." She said.

Negan closed his eyes and groaned in agreement as Kayla continued rubbing his back, neck and shoulders. His eyes flew open when he felt Amber's hands undo his belt. She looked up and him with a wicked grin.

"I'll do all the work. Just relax and enjoy the ride, baby." She said, stroking his length.

"Don't call me that." He muttered.

Negan wasn't even half hard. But he didn't stop her either.

Amber gave his member a couple of half hearted licks before lowering herself onto his slightly hardened dick. Her back arched as she stretched her long legs around either side of the chaise. He closed his eyes, trying to get lost in the sensation. Kayla rubbed her large breasts against the back of Negan's neck and shoulders, the hard points of her nipples catching on the soft cotton of his white t-shirt. Normally he'd have his face buried in Kayla's giant breasts and two fingers curled inside her while Amber happily bounced on his dick, but he just wasn't into it tonight. He wanted Lila, but obviously couldn't have her.

"Come here, Kayla." Amber cooed.

"I think our dear husband wants a show." She said before kissing the the other woman on the mouth slowly. Negan looked up with mild interest, raising an eyebrow. Kayla giggled nervously as she tentatively touched Amber's breasts before looking over to him for approval.

Negan closed his eyes again and leaned back on the chaise. Amber was moaning like a bad porn star as she ground down and writhed against him. He hoped she'd be done soon because this shit wasn't even fucking enjoyable. His thoughts drifted back towards Lila. He felt like he had failed her. _She had handled herself against that drunk fuck, but why the hell had he told her to go to work in the first place?_

One of the reasons the wives tended to keep to themselves was the jealousy and animosity that stemmed from them being exempt from the points system. Technically, Lila wasn't a wife yet— but Negan hadn't missed the whispers and raised eyebrows after he had given her five thousand points, or the looks when he had personally taken her to the infirmary. This was a major fuck up on his part—he hadn't controlled himself in the elevator, and now Lila was suffering the consequences. The rules he set were to keep everyone safe, and this whole goddamn situation was his fault.

"Motherfucker!" Amber slapped Negan's stomach.

Apparently he had lost his hard-on. "You can't even stay hard for me? I'm doing all the work! What's the matter? Are your balls in the infirmary too?" She taunted.

Negan's eyes snapped into focus. It was as though she had woken a sleeping giant. Kayla squeaked and ran back to her room as he picked Amber up off his lap, depositing her harshly on the chaise. His jaw flexed as he tried to keep his anger in check. Negan would never lay his hands on a woman in anger, but he was positively seething. He focused on regulating his breathing, rather than the terrible things he wanted to say and do to put Amber in her place.

"What do you want from me?!" He bellowed.

No reply. She looked at him with anger and insolence, hesitating as though she really did want to ask him for something.

Negan ran a hand over his face, cursing himself under his breath.

Amber was normally a cool girl to be around and an excellent lay, but ever since Lila, her insecurities and need for attention were getting on his every last nerve. The woman had no clue as to all of the other shit he was dealing with, and somehow if she did, Negan doubted very much she would have even cared.

He stood up and pulled up his pants, glaring at her as he buckled his belt.

"I didn't come!" She protested.

"That's your misfortune." He said flatly.

Amber fumed as she watched him slam the door to his office. She heard the lock latch and sighed as she continued staring at the closed door. She had been his favorite for months. Now she felt like yesterday's news.

Negan leaned up against the solid wood of the office door. _Staying in the parlor after dinner was a huge mistake._ He poured himself another bourbon before opening the door to the bedroom. Lila had shifted slightly in her sleep, her cheeks were slightly flushed. His hand went to her forehead, concerned about her running a fever.

He breathed a sigh of relief when her forehead was cool. The cold compress had slipped off the bed at some point. Lila sighed in her sleep, unconsciously leaning into his touch. Negan stared down at her, his eyes searching her relaxed face for answers.

 _Why do you like me?_ He thought _. I'm crude and I fuck other women. When she wakes up I'm going to ask her exactly that. I have to make a decision. I can't leave things like this. It's not doing either of us any favors. Fuck._ He didn't want to think about what it would be like if he had to let her go.

Negan ran his fingers through her hair for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet. Lila let out a soft satisfied moan. His dick chose that particular moment to resurrect his hard-on.

 _Fucking great._ He sighed.

His evening concluded with him in the shower, washing off the remnants of his failed coupling with Amber. The cool water was doing nothing to quench the masculine need rising from between his legs. He felt like such a creeper, getting hard while staring at Lila sleeping in his bed. Downing the rest of his bourbon, he got himself off thinking about all of the things he wanted to do once she was well again.

 _Fucking her in the shower._

 _Spending an entire evening eating her out._

 _Bending her over his desk._

 _Watching the sunset from the roof of the factory while fingering her until she comes, then fucking her under the stars._

Negan came all over his hand, groaning deeply. He chuckled as he rinsed off, the cool water soothing his spent nerves. _Just like when I first started dating...She reminds me of...Where the fuck was this coming from?_ He thought. A distant memory invaded his mind, from long before the world went to hell. He dried off, folding himself up onto the leather couch in his office for the second night in a row.

Of all the self imposed rules he had broken, why had he chosen to keep sleeping alone? As he shifted around on the couch trying to get comfortable, he began to think that so many of the rules he made for himself might be bullshit.

 _But rules have kept them alive, hell—they've kept me alive. Being detached and dispassionate is my strength, it's what's kept me going._ He thought. _No, I'm an idiot for catching feelings. Now I've got to figure out what the hell to do about it. Any signs of weakness and the whole damn thing crumbles._

As Negan finally drifted off into a bourbon laced sleep, a disembodied voice from his past flickered into his memory. _Oh sweetheart...You've never been anything but passionate. Your strength is being who you are. Don't just exist. Fucking Live. For me._

###

Lila had seen nothing but the inside of Negan's bedroom for three whole days. After her conversation with him about where she was staying, her sense of time and memory became a bit fuzzy, no doubt aided by the pain medication. The memories that did stick with her were powerful ones.

 _A glass of cool bathwater being tenderly poured over her head to rinse out her hair._

 _Strong arms wrapped protectively around her waist._

 _Whispers in the darkness, apologies, promises of safety and comfort._

As Lila came to, she had to wonder if she was dreaming again. Surely she hadn't spent days being waited on hand and foot by their leader? She stretched her arms over her head, groaning as her back popped. Her muscles were still sore from her attack, but she felt infinitely better. _This is Negan's room. I wasn't dreaming._ She thought.

The door to his office was closed, but she could hear his muffled voice through the thick wood. She smiled as she made her way into his private bathroom. There was an extra set of towels and a new toothbrush alongside a lady's razor on the ledge of the mirror. _That had to be Sherry's doing._ She thought as she turned on the shower. Lila felt the cool spray of water and groaned in delight as she shampooed her hair and inhaled the masculine woodsy smell of Negan's body wash. Her muscles clenched as she imagined him stepping in behind her, smiling against her neck.

Lila spent a few extra minutes conditioning her hair and running the razor over all the important parts. It felt good to groom, it meant she was alive, human. Her head still had a dull throb at the base of her neck, but the bump was definitely smaller. After a final rinse, she spent several minutes brushing out her hair. She noticed her hairbrush had been retrieved from her things and wondered if that was Sherry's doing as well.

Her knuckles still ached, but Carson must have used some of that liquid bandage stuff because the water hadn't bothered her. They still looked red, but less swollen.

Her dizziness returned as she tried to braid her hair, making her grab at the sink for balance. _Maybe Sherry could help me with it,_ she thought as she let it hang loose. She brushed her teeth and rinsed using the bottled water left beside the sink. It was no surprise the running water they had wasn't safe for drinking. She suspected it was rain water gathered in a large cistern on the roof of the factory.

"Lila?" Negan entered the darkened room, surprised to find her out of bed.

"Be out in a minute..." She replied as she buttoned up a flannel shirt she had stolen from Negan's chest of drawers. Hopefully he wouldn't be too mad at her for borrowing more clothes.

She blushed when she realized she didn't have any panties to put on underneath. _I went from a t-shirt to a button-up. I guess that's an improvement._ She thought.

Negan was sitting on the bed when Lila emerged from the bathroom. He gave her a wide smile as she leaned against the doorway. Afternoon light filtered in from the bathroom window, bathing them both in gold.

"There's my warrior princess! How long have you been up?" He asked.

Lila wasn't sure so she shrugged. "I don't know. I heard you talking to someone in the office, so I decided to take a shower."

Negan reached out, beckoning for her to join him on the bed. Lila managed to walk over, a little shaky until Negan wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. She sighed as she felt his fingers comb through her wet hair.

"You scared the shit out of me yesterday. Had to bring Carson up here and everything. We were talking and you just...you were just out cold." He tried to hide the fear in his voice.

Lila sighed. She could tell he had been worried. If there was ever a time she wanted to kiss him, it was now. To assure him she was here, and that she was fine.

"Carson said its a typical symptom of a concussion. Of course we don't have any fucking MRI or CT machines so all he can do is guess." Negan's fingers drifted lower, circling the damp ends of her hair.

Lila wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. "Thank you for taking care of me. I'm sure I feel well enough to get out of your way. You haven't had a decent night's sleep since you met me."

Negan tightened his grip on her waist. "Did I say I was fucking done taking care of you? Or that you were in my way?" His tone was deep and stern.

Lila shook her head. "N-n-n-o…no, you did not. I'm sorry, sir." She whispered. Her own hands drifted across his shoulders and down the side of his back.

He groaned at her use of the word "sir." His fingers tangled in her hair, gently elongating her neck so his lips, tongue and stubble could roam freely.

"Lila..." He whispered as he gently lowered her onto the bed, shifting her towards the center. His fingertips slid across the smooth skin of her legs.

He smirked when he noticed her choice of attire. "Nice shirt, doll."

Negan chuckled as she blushed. "It looks good on you, but I bet it looks even better over there on the floor." He grinned as she raised her hands, allowing him to slip it over her head.

She laid back against his crimson sheets, her eyes dark with desire. He hovered over her, his eyes raking over her naked flesh. He frowned when he noticed some of her dark bruises hadn't faded much.

"I'm such as asshole." He cursed, rolling off to the side.

"You're only an asshole if you stop and don't ask me what I want." Lila retorted.

Negan turned his head toward her. "What do you want, Lila?"

"You." She whispered. "I just want you."

Lila rolled on top of him, pawing at his white t-shirt. He had thankfully removed his leather jacket when he was still in his office. She kissed and gently nipped at his neck, careful not to leave marks as she fumbled with his belt buckle. Negan chuckled as he stilled her hands, flipping them over so she was underneath him again. He was careful to keep his full weight off of her as he nipped at her earlobe, his heated breath heavy in her ear. His lips drifted down her neck, pausing as his tongue darted out and licked at her pulse point. She sighed as the peaks of her nipples brushed against the wrinkled ridges of his t-shirt. Negan's grin widened as he inhaled her scent, soft and fresh from the shower. _This wasn't just fucking._ She thought.

"Stay exactly where you are." He rasped, dragging his hands gently down her side as he pulled back and scooted off the bed, disrobing as quickly as possible. Before returning to the bed, he grabbed a roll of condoms from his dresser and tossed them towards her.

She laughed and held them up. "You sure you have enough?" She challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Not even close." He drawled. Lila loved the lines that crackled around his eyes as he genuinely smiled at her. It seemed as though the mask of who he was outside his room had slipped completely, and she was left with the sexy and playful man that had stolen her heart that night he comforted her in the elevator.

Negan grinned as he crawled up from the foot of the bed, kissing the tips of Lila's toes as his large hands circled her ankles, pulling her legs apart. His eyes traced a line up the inside of her legs, glittering with excitement as he honed in on the wetness glistening between her folds.

"Somebody missed me." His baritone voice reverberated against her as he looked up through his lashes. Lila bit her lip as his nose nudged at her mound. Negan's stubble lit her senses on fire as his hands pinned her hips firmly to the bed, offering her no escape from his attentions.

Lila arched her back and moaned, pleasure flooding her senses as Negan continued to devour her noisily. Her breathy little whimpers nearly sent him over the edge.

"Fuck me...I could do this all goddamn day." He growled. "One day, I think I fucking will."

Lila giggled, the sound a comfort to his ears. Her laugh was musical, bubbly and genuine.

Negan leaned up, amusement and her arousal painted all over his face.

"What? You don't think I can?" He challenged.

Lila smiled, tracing her thumb across a long, faint scar near his temple. "I know you can do anything you set your mind to. Look at you. You're magnificent." She whispered.

Negan didn't know what to say to her compliment. For all his bravado and posturing, genuine praise made him uncomfortable.

"Fuck it..." He whispered before covering her lips with his. After getting over her initial surprise, Lila moaned into his mouth and held on for dear life. Negan's lips, tongue and teeth seemed to be everywhere, searing her skin with kisses, consuming her whole until he was gently nipping at her lower lip while they both gasped, desperate for air.

Her heart leapt as she felt Negan's lips capture hers again, softer this time. "I could do _this_ all goddamn day." She whispered before dragging her lips against his.

She loved how his mustache tickled her nose, and how his beard rubbed against her skin. There would be rosy patches littered across her body tomorrow, electrifying her blood with reminders of his passions. Negan smiled against her mouth before dipping his head to trail kisses down her neck. She vaguely heard him tear open the condom wrapper as he continued lavishing her skin with praise from his mouth. They were laying on their sides facing each other, their legs loosely intertwined.

"Mmm...my lovely Lila..." He murmured against her shoulder. "You sure you're feeling up to this? The Doc would probably tan my hide if he knew what I was doing..."

Lila smiled conspiratorially. "Then I guess we'd better not tell him." She laughed.

Negan's hand traced along the dip in her waist. He looked at her, serious for a moment.

"Lila..." He began.

"Just...be gentle. No slamming my head into anything hard...Except maybe your cock." She smiled.

Negan let out a full belly laugh. _This girl._ He thought, as he tucked her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger on her neck. He blinked slowly, taking in the flush of amusement and arousal on her skin. His hand gripped her waist as he pulled her close, allowing the tip of him to edge between her folds. She threw her leg over his hip, drawing him closer.

Lila let out a breathy sigh as she felt him brush across her aching clit. She craved his touch, the way he felt against her as he slipped inside. His breath hitched as they rocked against each other slowly At first, building momentum. Negan stared into her eyes, relishing the changes in her face when he pushed or pulled at her hips. She held his gaze, clasping the side of his face in the palm of her hand.

Negan growled deeply as Lila shifted her hips, pulling him deeper. "Kiss me again..." She demanded.

He traced his nose along her throat, chuckling as he paused just above her mouth.

"Say please…" he whispered. His hand was wrapped around the column of her throat, his thumb just underneath her jaw.

Lila whimpered as his other hand fell between her legs, his fingers just resting on top of her nub as they continued to slide together. She wanted to look down, but the look in Negan's eyes had her frozen in place.

"Please!" She begged as her rhythm faltered. Her heel tightened its grip under his ass, anchoring them together.

Negan's mouth was on her, swallowing her moans as she began to fall apart. Her walls were fluttering and flexing around his cock, pulling him in as far as he could go.

"Fuck..." He growled. "Come with me, baby...we're so fucking close...I can feel it!"

Lila's hand gripped at the protruding muscles on his shoulders. Her breath was coming in quick bursts against his face.

"Look at me, Lila!"

The intensity of his stare sent her rocketing towards the stratosphere as her orgasm ripped through her, echoing pleasure through every cell.

"Negan!" She cried. "Oh, fuck!"

His body stiffened as he came with a gasp and a growl, flexing and relaxing as he filled the condom.

Turning his head into her shoulder, he groaned as he caught his breath. Her heart leapt a bit when he sprang up to dispose of the condom. She knew he wasn't one for sleeping in the same bed as anyone, but she silently hoped she could persuade him to make an exception. She let out a sigh of relief when he returned with a damp wash cloth, grinning as he cleaned both of them up.

"Good Lord woman..." He chuckled. "You wore me right the fuck out."

Lila giggled. "You have such a way with words..."

Negan laughed and pulled her into his arms. "Damn right, baby."

Lila felt his breathing slow as he began to drift off to sleep. Nuzzling her cheek into his chest, she sighed contentedly. _If only we could stay in this room forever._ She thought.

The spell was broken when her stomach growled loudly. Negan let out a low chuckle, kissing the top of her head as he sat up in bed. "Shit, Lila...you must be fucking hungry. Why didn't you say anything?"

"We got distracted. We fed a different hunger." She said. "And, I like laying with you...like this."

Negan's eyes softened a bit. He ran his fingertips over her arms, enjoying the small patch of goosebumps that formed. He extricated himself from the bed, bending over to pick up his underwear off the floor.

"Let's get you fed. Be right back." He said, pulling on his boxers. He left the door between the office and the bedroom open, turning back to wink before heading into the parlor.

Lila smiled and closed her eyes. _If this is a dream, I'm not so sure I want to wake up." She thought._

###

Negan made his way into the kitchen. There was a barbecue downstairs tonight with the meat from Hilltop, so most of the wives had ventured downstairs for the festivities. Negan busied himself looking through the fridge for something he could heat up for Lila. He jumped a little when he heard someone enter the kitchen.

"She's finally awake?" Sherry asked. Negan nodded.

"I'm surprised you aren't downstairs." He replied.

Sherry shrugged. "I'm not feeling social. Here, let me do that..." She said, covering a bowl of leftover spaghetti before placing it in the microwave. Thank goodness for the few solar panels they had, she thought.

"Thanks, Sher." He sat down at the kitchen table, rubbing at his beard.

"You going to tell her, about last night...with Amber and Kayla?" She asked.

Negan looked at her pointedly. "What's to tell? They're my wives...and I was drunk and they sort of talked me into shitty sex?"

"Why didn't you say no to them?"

Negan shrugged.

Sherry rolled her eyes as she sat down next to him. "You like Lila. Not in the way you usually like women. You need to figure this out before things get more fucked up than they already are." She said.

One of the things Negan had always admired about Sherry was that she spoke her mind, even if it pissed him off when she was right. She never called his bullshit unless they were alone, and he valued her opinion more than anyone else's in the compound. Not that he'd ever tell her that.

Negan groaned. "I hate it when you're right, Sher Bear."

"Is she going to be a wife?" She asked.

"That's up to her. We haven't had the chance to talk about it yet...but I want to handle it as soon as possible. I fucked up, giving her points and not saying anything. I shouldn't have fucked her without asking her to be a wife first...now there's this grey area, and she got hurt because of me." His eyes drifted towards the window looking out onto the compound.

Sherry had never heard Negan assign blame to himself before. "Lila got hurt because some dipshit got drunk on the job and thought he had the right to touch her. That's not ok under any circumstances. It's not your fault."

Negan looked back at her. He wasn't sure he agreed, but if Sherry was being generous he'd take it. They had a complicated relationship, but at the end of the day he was glad she had stayed.

The microwave beeped, reminding them of the food. Sherry got up and pulled out a small tray, placing the bowl of pasta and a glass of water on it.

"She's good for you. I hope she stays." She said before walking back to her room.

 _Me too, Sher. Me too._ He thought.

###

Lila was waiting in his office when he returned with the tray of food. He smiled as he noticed she had thrown on his button down plaid shirt again, having rolled up the sleeves. Her hair was in a ponytail and she looked adorable. _Fuck_. He thought. _No more using words like adorable to describe her._

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his neck. "Thank you for making me food."

Negan ran his thumb over her cheek. "Actually, Sherry did. I stayed the fuck out of her way."

Lila laughed. "I always knew you were smart." She said, sitting on the couch.

He gave her one of his megawatt smiles. "Quit sassing me and start eating, woman."

She laughed as she twirled the fork around the pasta. The leftovers were amazing, and it didn't take long for her to devour most of the bowl.

Negan paced around the room a few times before sitting next to her on the couch. They needed to talk. He didn't want to do it now...but he couldn't hide up in the apartment forever. Keeping order was always a delicate balance, and he knew the rumor mill had been working overtime the past few days. It was time to shut that shit down.

"Lila..." He began. "We have some shit to deal with, you and I..."

She swallowed her last bite of pasta and looked at him expectantly.

"I fucked up, putting you in the situation you were in..."

Lila placed a hand on his forearm. "Negan, Gino wasn't your fault...he's always been a drunk and a bit of a creeper..."

"I shouldn't have fucked you in the elevator...and then given you points for it. I should have asked you to become a wife before we ever..." He rambled.

"Negan. Stop. Please...Stop second guessing what happened. It's not going to help either one of us. I don't regret what happened in the elevator- not for anything. And yes, things have gotten a little..."

"Fucked up?" He offered.

Lila let out a small laugh. "I was going to say muddled. But what happened with Gino-that could have happened to me at any time. And I don't really give a shit what people say about me. I get what you were doing with the points, even if it wasn't the best thing for endearing me to others. Fuck them. They don't know me. They don't know what happened between us. You do." She cupped his face, running her thumb over his scar again.

"So does that mean you'll become a wife now?" His voice betrayed him with uncertainty.

"Why does anything between us have to change? We like each other, we're having fun...and I like my job. I'm really good at it, when I'm not being attacked. I don't need to be protected, coddled, and kept...and I don't expect you to get rid of your wives...I know it's a business arrangement. What we have isn't."

Negan stood up and paced again, his mind reeling. "So you don't want to fucking marry me?"

Lila sighed. "That's not what I said. I want to be with you...I...I know what we have is different."

"It is fucking different and it has the potential to fuck up everything!" he growled.

"I can't continue being with you if you aren't a wife, Lila. I just can't. It isn't fair to the others, and it creates problems...for more than you and me. I need to do what's best for everyone. I can't lead if I'm distracted."

Lila was crestfallen. She sort of understood where he was coming from, but the idea of not being with him broke her heart. _Does this mean I should say yes and live up here with the other wives in a gilded cage? Would I become just another member of the harem?_ she thought.

Her head began to pound. "I…I need more time, Negan. This is a really shitty time to give me an ultimatum!" she retorted. She stood up, her eyes darting to the door leading to the parlor. _I need time to think._

Negan poured himself a glass of bourbon and slammed the bottle on his desk. His eyes widened as she began to walk towards the door. He was on her in two paces. His hips pressed her into the door. She sighed as his hands tangled in her hair, pulling her face close. His breath ghosted across her cheek as she fought back tears.

"Lila….I know the timing is shitty, but it's the fucking apocalypse, doll. You know how I feel, and you have a choice to make. You're free to walk out this door…but I'll assume you've made your choice if you do. You want to stay here and talk this though some more? I'm all ears. Just remember…I don't beg. And I only ask once."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: OMG. Writer's block suuuuucks. I am so sorry for the long delay. It is so damn frustrating when the words won't come. I even missed my Boondock Saints story anniversary. Ugh. I really admire all of you who consistently put out quality work on a regular basis. I really appreciate all the check-ins and support and patience while I struggled through. A very special thanks to my boo Sam for helping me through the darkness. I look forward to everyone's feedback. I won't make any promises on updates...but I feel a few actual one-shots tapping at my muse's window. Anybody down for a Negan smut week? Until next time xoxo...is it Oct yet?**

* * *

Negan had her trapped against the door. Lila's chest heaved as emotion flooded her already muddled brain.

He seemed to sense her panic, pushing off the door and backing away almost as quickly as he had trapped her. Lila took a deep breath and sat down on the couch, glaring at him.

"Shit, Lila. How the fuck did we get here?" he whispered as he picked up his glass, taking another healthy swig.

Lila let out a small chuckle. "You came back from the kitchen and started being an ass. I was just sitting here."

Negan had the decency to look somewhat repentant. He looked over at her with a sheepish grin before shrugging his shoulders.

"What can I say? I fucking panicked. Ultimatums are generally how I handle shit, and I almost always get my way." he said, sitting down next to her on the couch.

 _Ultimatums make me want to run._ she thought.

Negan studied her face as she stared into the distance. He reached over and tucked an errant tendril of hair behind her ear. "What's on your mind?" he asked.

"I need to get out of this room. I'm feeling...confined. But I don't want to walk out on you...or us. Can I...go for a walk?" She said.

His features softened a bit as he studied her face. " _We_ can go for a walk, doll. I'm not letting you out of my sight...but I can understand you feeling cooped up after being in here for a few days. Let's get some fresh air. As much as I love looking at your gorgeous legs, you should put on some pants. Your jeans are in the bedroom."

Lila blushed slightly as she wandered back towards the bedroom in search of her jeans. She found them clean and neatly folded on top of his dresser. _Sherry. I need to do something nice for her._ She thought. With a firm tug on her boots, she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and walked back into the office.

Negan had put on his leather jacket and was slowly pacing back and forth twirling Lucille as he waited. He smiled when he saw she still wearing his flannel with her jeans. He loved how it slipped off her shoulder, exposing the delicate sweep of her collarbone and neck.

They were both relieved to find the parlor was still empty, the festivities still in full swing downstairs. Negan nodded at the armed guard as they left his apartment. Lila was surprised when he tugged on her arm, leading her down a darkened hallway.

She watched with curiosity as he produced a set of keys and pulled down a set of metal steps that lead to a hatch in the ceiling. Her eyes widened when he wordlessly wrapped the slender handle of Lucille in her hand and winked. He produced a small flashlight from his pocket that he used to illuminate what he was doing.

"You aren't afraid of heights, are you doll?" He asked as he took back Lucille.

Lila shook her head, thankful her dizziness from earlier had subsided.

Negan popped the hatch to the roof and clambered to the top of the small metal staircase and disappeared briefly, checking the security of roof and leaning Lucille against a tall air duct. He flashed a grin before elegantly extending a hand, looking more like a grand duke than the enraged grizzly bear he was not fifteen minutes before.

Her breath caught as the star filled sky came into view. The half-waning moon was setting low against the western edge of tree line surrounding the factory. Without the light pollution from city lights, they were treated to an unobstructed glimpse of the Milky Way ambling across the horizon.

"In all this...I guess I never bothered to look up." She said.

Warmth surrounded her as Negan wrapped his arms around her from behind. She closed her eyes for a moment and savored the musky smell of leather and man combined with the strength of his embrace.

"I'm glad you like it. It's so easy to miss the little things. Trust me." His lips brushed against her ear.

Lila smiled. "The Milky Way is a little thing in your world?"

Negan's chest shook with laughter. He ground his hips against her ass slowly. "Only compared to some things, sweetheart." His voice was husky with desire.

Lila found it impossible not to whimper as his hardened bulge made contact with her still sensitive core from behind. Despite two layers of denim, he always seemed to find a way to make her feel naked with his touch. Breaking their embrace, she spun around as she laughed, "Ok, ok...you win this round of the innuendo olympics!"

He chuckled warm and low as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her against his chest.

"What exactly do I win?" He asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

His arms encircled her waist underneath the oversized plaid shirt, his thumbs tracing along the ridge of her hipbones.

"Hmm...What do you get the man who has everything?" Lila pondered as her palms smoothed his shirt across his chest.

Negan shook his head. "I don't have everything, doll. Not even close." His face flickered with a hint of sadness before he blinked back into the moment as laughter and noise filtered up from the festivities below. She placed a hand on his cheek and stroked her thumb across the scar almost hidden by his facial hair.

 _I wonder how he got that scar._ She thought. _I wonder if he'd tell me if I asked._

Almost as if he were reading her thoughts, Negan smiled and shook his head slightly.

"Ugh, I gotta shave this shit..." He grumbled. "I'm a beast."

"Don't you dare!" She retorted.

Negan rewarded her with a cheshire grin. "Babydoll likes my scruff. I'll have to remember that..." He chuckled. "The real question is where do you like it?"

Lila pretended to clutch at her imaginary pearls in shock before breaking away from his grasp again; she sighed as she walked a few paces towards the edge of the roof, looking out into the distance before turning back to smile at him.

"Well...the first thing I think I'd get you, on your road to having everything, is a couple of chairs for up here." _And maybe an umbrella for hot days._ She thought.

Negan chuckled and walked behind one of the many large air ducts that dotted the surface of the roof. Lila followed him with curiosity and laughed as he unlocked a heavy duty plastic tool bin and pulled out a giant ugly green vinyl beanbag chair.

He made a show of fluffing it up before placing it on the roof and flopping down with a grin. Lila was surprised at how the chair seemed to swallow him whole. He beamed up at her while slapping his thigh and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Come sit on my lap, baby." He crooned.

Lila made a show of rolling her eyes as she laughed before settling herself in the comfort of his lap with her legs folded across his thighs, so she could nestle into his side and rest her head on his shoulder. Negan hummed with satisfaction as her hand drifted underneath his leather jacket and rubbed absently across the hard planes of his stomach.

 _We're so good like this...just us. Why can't things just stay simple?_ She thought.

Negan let his fingers explore as well, tracing the ridge of collarbone exposed in the opening of her shirt. His other hand was slung low across her waist, holding her snugly in place. They sat together in companionable silence, enjoying the view of the sky. He pulled out a small flask and they took turns nursing a few sips.

Lila nuzzled into his neck, smiling against him as she felt his pulse quicken.

"You know what I like about you, Lila? Our quiet time is comfortable. You always seem to know exactly what I need before I do. Nobody takes care of me like that...except maybe Sherry...and that's completely fucking different." He said.

His breath was warm and heavy against her ear as he edged his nose into her hair.

Lila took a deep breath.

"If...If I were to become a wife... What would that really mean? Besides what you said the other day about devotion. I'm already devoted to you. Body and Soul. So tell me, what would it mean? Can I still work in the garage when I want to? Where would I sleep? Can I still kiss you when it's just us? I don't want to just be another girl in your harem...and I'm not asking you to give them up...I...just...I don't know what to do. " Her voice faltered as she pictured living in the factory without him. _Alone again._ A tear escaped and fell across her cheek.

His arms tightened around her, pulling her as close as possible.

"Shhhh...Lila. I told you I'm fucking terrible at this kind of thing." He said as she sniffled against his chest. Something between a hiccup and a laugh was muffled as she clutched at his shirt.

Negan gently backed her away from his chest, holding her head between his hands.

"It would mean I'm devoted to you. To protecting you with everything I have. We wouldn't have secrets. I'm not a good man, or a perfect man, but I'm an honest man. I have obligations to the others...to the group. You know that...but I will always make time for you. As far as the rest, we'll have to figure it out. You aren't like anyone else, any of the others-I've never had anyone volunteer to continue working before. You have a valued skill, and I appreciate that. You understand what I'm trying to do here. But I am more concerned about your safety. We'll have to think on how to make that work. As far as the sleeping arrangements... You should have your own room...but I very much doubt I'm going to let you spend much time in it."

Lila smiled. "Appearances matter."

He nodded slowly. Rambunctious squeals and drunken laughter filtered up from the party below.

Lila smiled briefly before her thoughts turned dark. "I don't want to know about the other wives...when you're with them. I know you have to keep up appearances but..."

Negan grabbed her chin and pulled her gaze to meet his. "I'm the fucking boss, babydoll. The only thing I have to do is what I want. And what I want is you. Hell- I haven't wanted to fuck any of them since I met you. When you were unconscious, a couple of them tried, but I wasn't interested...I stopped in the middle...I don't know why the fuck I'm saying this to you...But I'm not going to lie. I'm a man. And I like having choices, especially if I'm in the mood and you are not. If you're telling me you don't want to be around when I'm with someone else, you don't have to be around when that's happening. It's not like I'm going make you sit there and watch. Hell its one of the reasons I want you to have your own space, in case you need some time away from me. Some times I can be a bit...much." He grinned. "Or so I've heard."

She couldn't help the giggle that escaped at the end of his diatribe. Understatement of the year. She thought. It is nearly impossible to stay mad at this man. He wasn't promising her anything, other than the truth. After the broken promises of previous suitors, it was a refreshing approach.

Lila's eyes sparkled. "And the kissing?"

"When we're alone. I don't want the others getting any ideas." He said.

"Your mouth belongs to me." She said.

Negan laughed. "So is that a yes to marrying me?"

"I want it in writing." She replied.

Negan tried to suppress a chuckle as he scoffed. "You want what in writing, doll? You askin me for a prenup? You want half my shit if we get divorced? I'm pretty sure you'd only be entitled to one sixth, but I don't quote me on-"

Lila put her hand over his mouth. "Stop talking." She stifled a grin as she felt his tongue tickle the palm of her hand.

"What I meant was... I want a marriage contract. I guess it's like a version of our own private vows. Not exactly business between us...but just so we know where we stand. What we both expect from one another."

He stared at her for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "It sure as shit sounds like business to me. But if it's what I have to do to get you to stay with me...I'm willing to nail out terms...before nailing you." He added with a wicked grin.

Lila bit her lip and nodded. "Yes. I'll marry you."

Negan smiled broadly. "How do you feel about starting the honeymoon now, doll?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Lila giggled as Negan nuzzled her neck, peppering her skin with kisses. He deftly unbuttoned her shirt, tracing along the opening.

"Mmmm Lila..." He murmured against her skin.

His thumb brushed against her nipple, hardened by arousal and the night air as his hand travelled south, tracing her ribcage underneath the oversized shirt.

Lila moaned softly as she reached down to unbuckle his belt, letting her fingers drift through the trail of hair below his belly button. Negan growled low before lifting her up so she was straddling him, her knees sinking into the soft cushioning of the bean bag chair. He held her in place as he attached his mouth to her breast, sending electric shocks to her core as his tongue circled the hardened peak.

She gasped as she felt his teeth scrape, causing her hips to buck into his hardness. "Ugh...Negan" she whimpered.

"Shhh, I've got you, doll. Need you to stand up for a minute."

Lila stood on shaky legs and shivered slightly, the night air tightening her skin now that she was away from his body heat.

He stood in front of her, running his hand up her sides as he rose to his full height. "Don't worry, babydoll... I'll keep you warm." He said as he unbuckled her jeans and pulled them down along with her panties. Kneeling before her, he placed a kiss on each hip before locking eyes with her as his tongue darted out to taste her arousal. Her breath hitched at the mix of heat from his tongue and the rush of the cool night air.

"My sweet Lila... I'm going to make you see stars." He grinned. Lila's knees almost buckled as the warmth of his breath radiated against her aching sex. He quickly turned her around and guided her into the beanbag chair. His eyes darkened as he took in the view of her, wearing nothing but his open shirt with her legs slightly open.

He removed his leather jacket and unbuckled his pants, freeing his swollen and aching cock.

"I'm so hard for you, doll...you look so hot like that." His voice was low and thick with arousal as he ran his hand over his length. "Show me how wet you are." He commanded as he rolled on a condom.

Lila blushed as she opened her legs further and traced a hand down to her sex, opening her folds as Negan licked his lips. She felt emboldened by his gaze, tracing her fingers along the ridges of her entrance.

"Negan...I need you...now...please." She whispered.

He lunged forward and hooked her knees over his shoulders, sliding into her with a strong thrust of his hips. He covered her body with his, surrounding her with warmth as he stretched her arms above her head. The beanbag chair surrounded them as her back arched; drawing him deeper as his beard, lips, and teeth rubbed against her throat.

"Oh fuck!" She gasped. Negan answered with a grunt and another snap of his hips.

He held her arms above her head with one hand, tracing the other slowly along the artery in her neck before reaching down to pinch her nipples. Her muscles tightened around his cock in response.

"Goddamn Lila! You feel so good... I'm gonna make you come so hard..."

Lila threw her head back and moaned loudly as he pounded into her.

"Fuck...you feel so good!" He growled.

She gasped as her orgasm took hold, sending her flying into the stratosphere. Her eyes were closed but she swore she saw stars.

"Mmm...Negan!" She gasped before locking her ankles around his back.

"Lila..." He groaned as he came hard, filling the condom.

They laid fused together for a few minutes, catching their breath. Negan pulled his head away from her shoulder and took in her face. Despite the darkness, she seemed to glow as she looked at him with wonder. He couldn't help himself from kissing her, nibbling at her lower lip until she groaned deeply. Her hands carded through his hair, making him smile and purr like a kitten.

"That was...amazing." She whispered.

Negan nodded in agreement. "I told you I make you see stars, doll. But we'd better take round two inside. My ass is getting cold."

Lila's body shook with laughter as Negan slipped out of her and pulled his pants up.

"Fuck! It's freezing without you on top of me!" She hissed as she buttoned the flannel shirt quickly.

Negan laughed as he tossed the used condom off the far side of the roof. "Remember that whenever you get cold, baby." He joked.

Lila rolled her eyes as she stood up and pulled her pants up. "Or we could remember to bring a blanket next time."

He grinned as he wrapped his leather jacket around her before picking up the bean bag chair, stuffing it back into its storage bin.

"Duly noted, doll. Duly noted." He said as he lead her back down the staircase.

###

Negan woke up feeling slightly sore in his knees and disoriented. Lila was snuggled against his naked chest, sound asleep. He smiled at her sleeping form before feeling a pang of guilt. It wasn't so long ago he had sworn to never sleep next to anyone ever again, or feel what he was feeling when he was with Lila.

 _What's another broken promise to Lucille?_ He thought bitterly.

 _I didn't deserve her and I don't deserve Lila._ His brow furrowed.

Lila stirred in her sleep, murmuring softly. " _Safe_." She whispered.

 _She certainly isn't dreaming about baseball._ Lucille's disembodied voice remarked from somewhere deep in his mind. You make her feel safe. _Stop being a dumbass and get out of your own head._

Negan ran his hand over his face and exhaled. Lila rubbed her cheek against him as she woke up. She smiled widely as she looked up at him.

"Good morning." Her voice was sleepy yet full of joy as she ran her fingertips across the patch of hair on his chest.

Negan smiled, sadness from his earlier thoughts still haunting his expression.

"I don't deserve you, Lila." He said.

Lila sat up, covering herself with the sheets they spent half the night tangling.

"That's complete and utter bullshit, Negan." She frowned. "Last night meant everything to me. Was it nothing to you?"

"No!" He yelled. He closed his eyes briefly as he composed his thoughts. "That's the fucking problem, Lila. It's complicated. I made a promise to someone...before everything fell apart. I swore that she was the only one who ever had my heart...that she'd be the only one who I ever...that's why I fuck so many women. It's not the same. You and I..."

His voice trailed to a whisper as he hung his head. Lila felt her breath catch as he raised his eyes to her, filled with unspoken memories and emotion.

Clearing his throat, he tightened his jaw. "It's different." He said.

Lila's heart was beating double time. _Had Negan just confessed that he loved her? Or that he never could because of a promise?_

"Tell me about her." She said softly.

His eyes softened. "I can't." He whispered.

Lila pressed his hand between hers. Her eyes were kind and understanding. It suddenly made all the sense in the world why Negan acted the way that he did. He had channeled his grief into action, keeping hundreds of strangers alive. The comfort he took in carnal pleasures was just that...his heart remained separate and alone.

"Do you want me to go?" Her lip trembled.

Negan rolled over and caged her in his arms. His eyes scanned her face before he lowered his lips to hers softly. "No. I very much want you to stay. Still doesn't mean I deserve you."

Lila reached up and smoothed the wrinkle between his brows.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" She said.

Negan answered by kissing her again, with more passion as he moved above her, letting his lips drift down her neck and across her breasts.

Lila pulled him closer, her lips nipping at his ear. "I need you inside me. Now." She whispered.

He reached between them and entered her slowly, burying his face in her neck. She couldn't be certain, but she thought she felt dampness from his eyes. Negan didn't give her much opportunity to dwell on it as he increased the tempo of his strokes. Her walls clenched as he grunted in her ear. She arched and bucked beneath him, whispering incoherent encouragements until she felt him tense. He pulled out suddenly, spilling onto her stomach and thighs. His face was still buried in her neck as they caught their breath, but she felt him murmur against her as she carded her fingers through his hair soothingly.

When he finally lifted his head from her shoulder, he looked more like himself. Lila found herself fascinated by the length of his eyelashes as he blinked slowly, as if he were waking for the first time this morning.

With a slow smile, he rolled to the side and pulled her against him. "If I'm ever ready to talk about, Lila... It will be with you." He whispered. Lila leaned back and placed a kiss against his jaw. Negan hummed in appreciation before sitting up with his feet on the floor.

"Come on. We've got a big fucking day ahead of us. I have some justice to dispense, and we have an announcement to make. Sherry will help you pick out some clothes today. And we'll see to getting your stuff moved up here. I don't want to punish Gino and then have our ceremony... So we'll announce it tonight and celebrate tomorrow." He said, pulling her towards the shower.

"Ceremony?" She replied. "In front of everyone?" She tensed.

Negan grabbed her hand. "More like a formal announcement. Weren't you here when I married Amber?" He asked.

"I was in the infirmary."

Negan turned on the water in the shower. "Well don't worry about it, doll. It's not like you have to make any speeches or anything. Mainly you stand there and look like your gorgeous self so everyone else can see what a lucky bastard I am."

Lila groaned as his fingers combed through her hair. He chuckled as she melted into his touch.

The next fifteen minutes neither of them did much talking as their soapy limbs entangled under the hot water.

As they dried off, Lila turned to Negan. "When are we going to finalize our wedding contract?" She asked.

He smiled broadly. "Knew you weren't going to let that go. I was thinking tonight. You, me, and my desk. Does that work for you?"

Lila smiled. "I think I can pencil you in..." She laughed.

Negan winked at her as they finished getting dressed. "You're something else, sweetheart."

###

"Ladies! Pipe down for a minute." Negan bellowed at his gathering of wives in the parlor.

Sherry's lips quirked into a small smile as he waited for them to settle in for their weekly meeting.

Negan had determined that a regular meeting with all of them was the best way to take special supply requests and resolve any squabbles between the women. Otherwise, he'd never get anything done.

"Ok...before we get down to business, I have an announcement to make. You all met Lila the other day. Several of you took the time to tell me how much you liked her, and well...y'all have great taste because so do I."

Lila blushed as they all looked at her. She wished she was wearing something other than her jeans and a white dress shirt Negan had loaned her. Sherry walked over and squeezed her arm.

"Before we begin office hours, I wanted to share some happy news. Lila has agreed to become my wife. Just like the rest of you, it was her choice and she's going to come live up here in the apartment. We'll be moving her up here today... And making the announcement tonight after our general meeting. Now I know all of you will do everything you can to make her feel welcome." He said as he slowly paced back and forth.

Murmurs of congratulations filled the room.

"Now, if you have any special requests or issues to resolve. I'll be in my office. We will be using some resources tomorrow for a celebration, so try to keep it light this week. Lila will need some new clothes, so if you have anything new that doesn't suit you, perhaps she might want it. I expect everyone to be ready for the meeting tonight at 8. Sherry will fill you in with the details. Any questions?"

The women shook their heads as he nodded and walked into his office.

Amber kept her face as neutral as possible. She had expected this, but it still stung that she wasn't Negan's favorite anymore. She watched as most of the wives got up and hugged Lila and smiled. A new wife usually meant Negan ignored the rest of them during his "honeymoon" phase with the new girl.

Amber saved her hug for last, whispering in Lila's ear, "Enjoy it while it's lasts..."

Lila kept her expression from showing any emotion. "Well, like you said to me when we first met, what's there to think about?" She whispered back. It took everything Lila had not to add, _the four orgasms I had this morning certainly made the decision easier._

The redhead shot her a dark look before walking into Negan's office.

Negan looked up from his paperwork, removing the glasses he used when balancing the inventory and point ledgers.

"You need something, Amber?" He asked.

"I wanted to apologize for the other night." She said, sitting on the edge of his desk. She leaned forward slightly, placing her cleavage directly in his view.

He regarded her for a moment. "Apology accepted. I've got a busy day. Anything else?"

Amber pouted. "I miss you, baby. Thought I'd host your batchelor party...before you tie the knot tomorrow." She said, running her fingertips across the ridge of her breasts.

Negan chuckled. "That's very sweet, darlin. But I'm good. I've got way too much shit to deal with today. Look, you and I have had some fun...but I'm gonna be spending most of my time with Lila."

She straightened up and adjusted her top. "Uh-huh. We'll have you thought anymore about my request for a kitten? You said you'd think about it." She stuck her lip out again, hoping to take advantage of his rejection.

 _The last thing we need around here is another pussy with claws._ He thought _._

"I haven't had a chance to think about it yet, darlin. But I promise you I'll consider it. Now run along and help Sherry."

Amber scoffed as she exited Negan's office. _Like Sherry would ever listen to me_. She thought. But it did give her an idea for how to "help" Lila.

###

Lila popped into Negan's office before he headed out into the sanctuary. He had declared office hours over after Amber and shut his door so he could catch up on inventory. They would be headed out later in the week to collect their payments from the other communities, but it was obvious that he needed to send out a couple of scout teams as well to look for more supplies. Winter was only a couple of months away, and the cooler weather would make it harder on everyone.

"What's going to happen at the meeting tonight?" She asked.

Negan sighed. "Gino will confess his crimes and be made an example of."

Lila nodded. "Has he said anything to anyone?"

Negan's face grew dark. "He tried to bribe the guards to fetch a bottle of moonshine from his room. I guess his detox was pretty brutal."

Lila was silent. In the old world, Gino could have gotten the help he needed. Now his actions put too many people at risk.

"He's going to die." She said without emotion. Her face held some sadness.

"Do you disapprove?" Negan countered.

Lila looked at him directly. "It's not that. I get it. I was just thinking about how in the old world, he'd be able to get help."

He rose and walked around the desk, taking hold of her arms.

"I can't promise you I wouldn't have killed him in the old world either, doll. I have a zero tolerance policy for that shit. As long as I'm in charge, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, Lila."

She leaned up and kissed him softly. "Thank you. I'd better go meet Sherry."

Negan released her with a grin. "Go have fun with the girls, doing girly shit. I'll look forward to seeing what you find...for our business meeting." He chuckled.

Lila winked as she walked out of the room. Her mind reeled with excitement at their impending negotiations.

###


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for the delay dolls! This chapter kicked my ass! I cannot wait to hear all of your thoughts on it and hopefully my one shots kept you entertained in the interim. Looking forward to the next two Negan centric episodes of TWD... And please don't forget to join Negan's Thirst Squad on Tumblr! We'll all help each other through the loooong winter hiatus! A big special thank you to Ashton and Sam for their made beta skills! Xoxo J**

* * *

Doing "girly shit" with Sherry was an adventure in and of itself. Growing up with brothers, Lila had never really had the experience of a spa day. After hours of scrubbing, plucking and pinning up her hair, Lila felt like she was getting ready for a movie premiere, not an execution. In the apocalypse, the two events were one and the same she supposed. She tried to hold onto the strange sense of normalcy grooming brought-enjoying the mani/pedi she was currently receiving from one of the other wives.

"It's all about red. He fucking loves red. Drives him wild. Like a bull in a china shop," the woman said as she meticulously added a second coat of the blood red polish to Lila's hand.

Sherry snorted. "He's a man. Of course, it drives him wild."

The three women laughed for a moment before Amber walked in, a hand cocked on her hip.

"What's the color for tonight?" she asked.

Sherry looked over to the other woman before meeting Amber's gaze. "Three guesses," she quipped.

Lila looked between them confused before they all chimed in unison. "Red," and then giggled.

"I'll tell the others," Amber said, as she left the room without acknowledging Lila.

Sherry picked up an emery board and began filing her nails.

"Ok so I'm thoroughly confused," Lila said.

Sherry looked up. "Sorry, Lila...sometimes I forget that you're so new. Whenever Negan does a big event where we all gather, he asks that us wives present a united front. He's a showman...so it goes beyond our normal requirement of looking "hot as fuck," as he puts it. He wants us all to wear the same color dresses..and tonight's color of choice is red. As Tami here said earlier, it's his favorite."

"I see. Well, my wardrobe is somewhat limited," she replied.

Sherry touched her forearm and shook her head, her mouth in a rare full smile. "Not anymore. As soon as your nails are dry, we're headed to the vault."

An hour and a half later, after their nails had dried and a light lunch of cucumber and tomato salad was consumed, Sherry escorted Lila outside the main living quarters and down the hall, sort of near where Negan had taken her up on the roof.

"This area is off limits, unless Negan gives permission. He and I are the only ones with keys. As a wife, you'll never want for anything, but he loves to make you ask for things. I think he likes feeling needed," Sherry said.

Lila noticed that it was much easier to see during the day, with several large skylights letting in a liberal amount of natural light.

Sherry produced a set of keys and opened the doors to a very large room- it had to be thirty feet wide, filled to the brim with women's clothing, shoes, makeup, and jewelry. Or, as Negan had put it, "girly shit." It was as if an entire shopping mall had been unloaded in front of them.

"This is insane," Lila whispered.

Sherry answered with a tiny laugh,"This is Negan."

The room had a couch and a couple of chairs in the middle, along with a small, raised platform and full-length mirror. There was a large rectangular skylight, bathing the room in natural light.

Lila ran her fingertips over the intricate beadwork of an evening gown that cost as much as a car in the old world. "This is a beautiful, if not completely unnecessary."

Sherry snorted, trying to suppress her laughter.

"Don't let him hear you say that. He loves this shit. Obviously there's a power to it..I mean look at him, he's always impeccable. Image matters. But this...it's like...not only does he get to show off us, and how we look... but I think deep down...if there is beauty in this world...in whatever form...I think it gives him hope," she mused.

Lila looked at Sherry. For all of the complications of her relationship with Negan, she seemed to understand him, even if she didn't love him or even really like him all that much.

"I get it... It's just overwhelming. Obviously I like feeling feminine, but that was never...a priority, even before. I grew up with older brothers in a greasy garage. My mother died when I was seven...I never really did the whole "girly" thing," she said.

Sherry squeezed her arms, blinking back memories of her tomboyish sister.

"Well, no time like the present. Besides, who wouldn't want to wear a dress that costs more than a Honda Civic?" She laughed, holding up the most garish bedazzled monstrosity in the room.

Lila giggled. "Thank goodness it's not red!"

Sherry had tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard.

"Come on, I know the inventory in here like the back of my hand. Let's find you some actual clothes and something that will piss off Amber because you look so much better than her."

Lila laughed nervously as Sherry began piling clothes onto the couch.

After two hours of raiding the closet, the girls had found Lila several outfits, shoes, some new lingerie, and a red dress that was guaranteed to make a statement. Sherry saw Lila's scars, but didn't say anything. She could only imagine where they were from, and was glad Negan had seen past them. All of the pieces Lila chose covered them up well.

"I have the perfect pair of shoes for that dress in my room," Sherry said. "Besides, we'll probably be back up here tomorrow looking for your wedding dress. You can always find more shoes then."

"Next time we come down here, we need some music," Lila said.

"And alcohol," Sherry said, as they walked back to the apartment with their arms full of clothes.

Lila turned to Sherry just before they were in earshot of the guard. "Thank you for today... for everything."

She responded with a small smile and squeezed Lila's hand before squaring her shoulders. It reminded Lila a little of Negan mentally preparing whenever he stepped out into the sanctuary.

###

Sherry ushered Lila into her room when they returned to the apartment. Negan was still out, and she didn't want to deal with any of the drama that would come from the others seeing that Lila had been living in Negan's suite.

As wife number one, Sherry's room was nearly as spacious as Negan's bedroom, minus the office area. Lila was surprised she had her own en-suite bathroom.

"I have the best room out of all of the wives. The beauty of being first, I guess." Sherry explained as she took Lila's hair out of the pin curls they had set earlier in the day.

Lila nodded. "I'm not sure where I'm supposed to be yet...he said something about moving my stuff up here, not that I have much...but now all this."

"Don't worry. You can leave your stuff in here until we get it sorted. He just keeps building onto the apartment. Pretty soon it will just be the whole damn upper floor," Sherry laughed.

The two women spent the next few minutes picking through their clothes, looking for the perfect lingerie to go under their dresses.

"That. For sure," Sherry said, as Lila held up a black lace push up bra and matching pair of lace panties.

Sherry was wearing a super tight fitted cocktail dress with a low back, so she didn't even bother with a bra.

"Ugh... I can't breathe..." She protested as she shimmed the dress into place. "I can't wait to be back here and in something else."

"But you look fantastic," Lila offered.

"Thanks. It's nice to have someone to get ready with, who doesn't drive me insane. Now, let's get you ready. You're the one who is going to be the center of attention, after all."

Lila frowned at the thought as she changed in the bathroom.

"I need help with the buttons," Lila called out before opening the door.

"I'll help you with the buttons, doll," came the husky reply of Negan as he stepped into the bathroom behind her. He placed a series of kisses across the back of her neck and exposed shoulder blade.

Lila smiled at his reflection in the mirror as his eyes hungrily took in her figure, hugged by the fiery red silk of her gown.

"Oh...my... goodness... You look stunning, sweetheart." He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I should just throw you over my shoulder right now...and..."

"Negan! I swear to Christ if you wrinkle her..." Sherry barked through the door.

Lila laughed softly as she turned in his arms, running her palms up the wide expanse of his chest. She cupped his stubbled cheek, tracing the outline of his dimples.

"You look pretty damn handsome yourself, sir," she whispered.

Negan was wearing a black fitted dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It looked like it had been tailored to fit him, along with his grey jeans and boots. She could smell the spicy leather overtones of his scent as she nuzzled the small patch of skin exposed at the base of his neck.

"I'm nervous. To be the center of attention," Lila mumbled.

Negan tipped her face upward, his gaze intense. "You just follow my lead, beautiful. I promise I'll do all the heavy lifting." He smiled softly, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.

Lila smiled. If she focused only on him, she would get through being the center of attention for a couple of days.

###

The wives congregated in the parlor, waiting for Negan to emerge from his office. He had left Lila in Sherry's capable hands after being scolded for messing up her lipstick. He had laughed as Sherry furiously scrubbed at his face, erasing all evidence that he had spent the last fifteen minutes making out with Lila in Sherry's bathroom like a lovesick teenager.

Negan opened the door to his office, holding a red shopping bag from Cartier.

"Ladies, you all look absolutely fucking perfect. I'm a lucky son of a bitch. I can't wait to get out there and make sure everyone sees how goddamn beautiful you all look tonight."

The women immediately cheered and cooed as he called them each by name, handing over a piece of jewelry he had selected personally.

Sherry smiled as she twisted a simple trinity band on her right finger. "I have to admit, he knows me too well."

He saved Lila for last, his eyes hiding emotion he didn't want to share with her in front of everyone else.

"Turn around, doll," he said with a smile.

Lila felt the cool metal of the delicate platinum chain as it circled her neck. The other women gasped as they took in the size of the emerald-cut diamond at the center of the Art Deco design. Amber felt a pang of jealousy as everyone admired Lila. What bothered her most was the way Negan was looking at her. In all the time she had been at the sanctuary, she had never seen him look at anyone like that…with devotion.

Negan turned Lila towards a mirror as he looked over her shoulder. "Knew it would be perfect."

"Thank you," she smiled, as she squeezed his hand. "It's beautiful, overwhelming, and absurd."

He let out a full belly laugh, surprising the other wives.

"Hmm...just like me," he said before offering her his arm, as they walked out into the guarded hallway and onto the elevator.

When they arrived on the mezzanine level, Sherry walked beside Lila, explaining how they would enter the great room. Negan would enter first, and then would announce that the wives were joining everyone tonight. Lila would enter first, so he could announce their engagement, before the others would file in reverse order, with Sherry being the last to enter.

They all had seats around Negan, almost like a royal box at a tournament. Lila would be seated to his left, and Sherry to his right.

"Not that Negan will spend much time in his seat," she added.

Just before they reached the catwalk above the gathered masses, Negan turned to Lila with a grin.

"Almost forgot to give you these," he said, handing her a pristine white pair of opera length gloves.

Lila looked at him, slightly confused. Her outfit was already over the top. She looked like a golden age Hollywood Starlet in the middle of the fucking apocalypse.

"Trust me, doll," he whispered before giving her a wink.

 _I wonder what he has planned,_ she thought.

###

Lila and the others were just out of sight, watching as Negan walked out onto the overlook, surveying the crowd with a grin before continuing down the metal staircase with Lucille balanced carefully on his shoulder. It was strange to see him without his signature leather jacket, but in a fitted black dress shirt he looked just as deadly and handsome.

The gathered residents of the factory immediately became silent, falling to their knees as Negan made his grand entrance.

After a moment, he waved his hands, indicating they should rise.

"Alright! Let's get started!" Negan said with a grin.

"This week, was a productive damn week! I want to thank all of you for your hard work. This shit isn't easy. But when we work together, and follow the fucking rules, we all win, and the rules keep us alive!" he said, as he walked in front of the crowd.

"What happens?" he asked.

"We all win!" the crowd chanted back. "The rules keep us alive!"

He paused his pacing, grinning widely at the enthusiastic response.

"Goddamn right!" he barked, as a red metal chair was placed under a spotlight in the center of the large space.

There was a murmur throughout the crowd as speculation filled the room. Sherry ushered Lila to start walking down the metal staircase, which was partially obscured from the crowd. Amber followed her, along with the other wives. Lila stopped and waited for the signal from Negan that she should continue.

"You look really pretty, Lila," Amber whispered in her ear, making her jump. She hadn't realized how close she was.

"Now, we have some business to handle. But first, I want to introduce you to someone. As most of you know, my ass got stuck in the elevator last week. That shit was not cool...not cool. However, there was a silver lining. I met a beautiful little firecracker named Lila. She was stuck with me all night, and well...me being me... I am who I am."

Soft laughter traveled through the crowd as Negan paused to grin and waggle his eyebrows. He made note of a few sour faces, probably the bitches who gave her a hard time at breakfast, he thought.

"Now, Lila also happens to be one of our best mechanics. She is one of the reasons our Saviors have been able to keep traveling further on runs and pickups. So, I want you all to give my newest fiancée a warm welcome!" he said as he walked over to the staircase.

Lila descended the stairs to the sound of applause and cheers, keeping her eyes trained on Negan. She was three steps from the bottom when she felt her ankle catch on something.

There was a collective gasp from the crowd as Negan leapt forward and caught her in his arms before she landed face first against the concrete floor. Lila's could feel her heart pound as she continued staring into his shocked eyes. After a pregnant pause, Negan broke into a huge grin, chuckling to conceal his alarm.

"Well, as you can see, she's positively head over heels for me! Aren't you, babydoll?" He laughed, twirling her around before setting her on her feet.

Nervous laughter echoed through the crowd as Negan kissed her hand and escorted her over to her chair.

Amber held out her hand for Negan as she reached the bottom of the stairs, hiding her disdain when he declined to take it, choosing to move on to expedite the arrival of the others.

When they were all seated, Negan smiled. "Am I not the luckiest man in the world? I have the most beautiful wives left on this planet. And they all chose to be with me. Why? Because I keep my promises. Well, that and my giant fucking monster of a dick."

Lila chuckled and rolled her eyes, grateful that her back was to the crowd.

"But...I almost had someone make a liar out of me. And as you all know, I may be a lot of things, but I am not a goddamn liar! Bring him out!" he yelled as he paced towards the red chair in the center of the floor.

Lila watched as Simon and one of the other Saviors dragged a bound and gagged Gino into the hall, throwing him down onto the red metal chair. They made quick work of tying his legs to the chair before backing away, leaving him alone in the center of the room.

Gino's eyes widened as he took in the gathered crowd.

Negan's eyes were wild as he pointed at Gino with Lucille. "This motherfucker right here...tried to make a LIAR out of me by breaking the rules. The rules here are pretty fucking simple. You don't touch anyone without their permission. THIS FUCKER got drunk on the job and decided to assault his co-worker...who also happens to be my SUPER HOT fiancée! Now...Lila, being the firecracker that she is, shut that shit down and beat the ever loving shit out of him. Didn't you, darlin?"

"Yes, sir!" she replied, unable to control her smile as Negan looked at her with darkened eyes.

Gino's gaze narrowed when he saw Lila all dolled up, sitting pretty with Negan's wives.

Negan closed the distance between him and Gino in seconds. "How does it feel to be beat to shit by a super hot girl who happens to be an infinitely better mechanic than you?"

Gino struggled and murmured against the gag in his mouth.

"It was a rhetorical question, numb nuts." Negan rolled his eyes. "Heh, you're gonna wish your nuts were numb in a minute..."

Lila watched with fascination as Negan pantomimed a couple of practice swings with Lucille. Gino's eyes bugged out of his head as he realized what was about to transpire. He began screaming and hyperventilating against the gag, pleading with his eyes.

"Jesus.." Negan muttered before removing Gino's gag.

"Get ahold of yourself and breathe, fucker..."

Gino gulped and gasped as he stared at Lila.

"I think you owe the lady an apology." Negan leaned over. "Lila! Get up here doll! I think Gino's gonna finally man up."

Lila exhaled a shaky breath as she stood from her chair and walked to the center of the room, taking Negan's offered hand. Gino looked up at her, standing there like some Hollywood starlet.

"I'm sorry, Lila...I'm sorry I didn't kill you the other day!" he barked. There was a gasp from the crowd. "I'm sorry you think you're too good for everyone else, I'm sorry you couldn't keep your mouth shut like the others-"

Her gloved fist connected furiously with his face before he could continue his tirade. Blood flew from his nose and splattered across the concrete as she hit him over and over. Lila grabbed his face, crushing his cheeks between her gloved fingers.

"The others? What others?! You piece of shit!" Lila turned to look at the assembled crowd, her eyes wild.

"Who else was violated by this fucker?!" Negan's voice bellowed. "Come forward now!"

Three women tentatively walked forward, shaking and frightened. They were from different work groups, all lower on the pay scale.

Negan was absolutely fuming inside, but carefully schooled his features so as not to cause further damage to these women.

Gino spit in their direction, sending Lila into a rage. She slapped him across the face before pushing the chair backwards.

"Get him up..." Negan motioned to Simon. Gino's mouth was gagged again as they repositioned the chair.

The three women looked at the ground as Negan paced around the scene, the tendons in his arms flexing as his grip on Lucille, and his temper, tightened.

He closed his eyes as he exhaled slowly.

When his eyes opened again, Gino gasped at the look of serenity on Negan's face. He had figured he was a dead man before, but now he knew whatever Negan had in store for him was so much worse than death.

Negan stepped forward, addressing the three women.

"Well, this certainly has been an illuminating evening. Ladies, I am terribly sorry that you were violated by this piece of shit here. I truly am. But I have to ask...did you report what happened to you to anyone?"

Two of the women shook their heads silently. The third looked at Negan, with tears in her eyes.

"I reported it to my section leader, Martin. They moved me to another sleeping area," she said softly.

Negan put his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you."

With a single glance at Simon, two saviors grabbed Martin and pulled him forward, dropping him on his knees next to Gino.

"Negan...I'm sorry... I didn't want to bother you...I..." Martin blubbered.

"BOTHER ME? You think reporting a rapist in our midst would have been an inconvenience to my day, Martin? I want you to look very carefully. I see four women here who were most certainly BOTHERED by your lack of action, Martin. Lucille though, Lucille is downright furious!"

Negan cracked him across the temple, the blow sending blood and teeth skirting across the floor. His breath quickened as he beat Martin's head in, splatter landing on Gino as he watched on in horror.

Lila had moved to stand out of the way with the other women. They flinched as each blow landed on Negan's former housing supervisor. She could see the burden written on Negan's face as he turned to address the crowd.

"Let me be clear. . ! You do not touch someone without their consent! If you see someone taking advantage of someone else...you report that shit immediately! The rules keep us alive! The rules keep us safe. You fail to act, you endanger others! Gino here is going to be a prime fucking example of what not to do. But, before we promote him to his new position as a cautionary tale, I'd like to give each of these women here a free swing with Lucille."

Negan bowed slightly as he held out his prized bat to one of the women standing behind Lila.

"Just don't hit him in the head," he muttered.

Lila watched as the petite woman swung Lucille with all her might, hitting Gino directly in the groin. He yowled in pain against his gag. _Consider yourself lucky it isn't Negan swinging,_ she thought.

The other two women repeated the action, before handing her the weapon. Lila chocked up on the bat, just like her brothers had taught her, and let out a yell as she swung hard. The blow landed in his lap, adding to the bloody mess in his pants. She fought tears as she hit him again twice in the chest.

"Lila..." Negan's voice pulled her back before she could swing again.

She froze before landing another blow, handing Lucille back to him.

"Tell Carson to cauterize the wound before stringing him up. And make sure he's high up on that fence. I want him alive for as long as possible." Negan ordered as Simon and the others dragged Gino away.

"Ladies... If you ever feel unsafe... I want you to come to me, or to Simon or to Dwight. We will shut that shit down, no exceptions! Now, how about a round of applause for my bad ass fiancée here?" he said as he held up Lila's gloved hand. The white of her gloves was covered in blood, dripping like an abstract painting off the fabric.

Lila blushed as the community cheered for her enthusiastically.

"Now that shit is settled... Tomorrow we'll have ourselves a good ol time, after Lila and I make it official. Work hard so we call all play hard! I'll see you all here tomorrow," he drawled, dismissing the crowd.

Amber watched as Negan lead Lila back up towards the penthouse. Amber, Sherry, and the rest of the wives followed behind silently. Negan's eyes didn't leave Lila as they exited the elevator and walked into the parlor. It was as if nothing or no one else existed, as the palm of his hand rested on the small of her back. Her attempt to trip Lila on the stairs had backfired horribly. She could only hope Lila had thought it was the long train of her dress or her own clumsiness.

Negan cared for Lila in a way Amber had never seen, perhaps except for how he treated Lucille.

Breaking them up was going to be more difficult than she had originally thought. But this new information could be exploited. If Amber could convince Negan that Lila didn't feel the same way, he would go back to mindlessly fucking all of them. She would just have to wait for her moment.

The last thing she saw, before Negan's office door shut, was Negan, carefully pulling off Lila's bloodied gloves before sucking on each of Lila's fingers tenderly.

"Leave them alone," Sherry's voice startled her.

Amber turned around and looked at Sherry pointedly.

"I have no idea what you mean," she said, before stalking away to her room.

###

Lila's breath hitched as Negan looked at her hungrily. She stood frozen as he tugged off her bloody gloves, his tongue circling each finger with precision.

"You were magnificent, sweetheart," he whispered. "I really had no idea how all of that was going to play out…it was certainly more fucked up of a situation than I had originally thought."

Lila felt her heart swell as Negan continued to remove her gloves. When he had completed his task, he clasped her hands at the level of his chest and bent down to kiss the inside of her wrists.

She smiled as she broke his grip, resting his jaw in the palms of her hands. He closed his eyes as she stroked her thumbs across his cheeks, playing with the soft hair that hid faint smile lines near his mouth. Lila thought he looked beautiful, if not physically and mentally exhausted.

His public mask had slipped away as soon as they were behind closed doors.

"I know I promised you a negotiation..." he began.

Lila stood on her tiptoes and interrupted him with a swift kiss to his lips.

"We'll take care of it tomorrow. Tonight, let me take care of you," she said as she pulled him back into the bedroom.

Her fingers deftly unbuttoned his dress shirt, revealing the warm, muscular expanse of his chest as she pulled the fabric apart. She trailed open mouthed kisses down the center of his torso, looking up with a coy smile when she reached his belt line.

"Let's take a shower, doll," he purred.

Lila hummed in agreement as he slipped one of the straps of her dress off the slope of her shoulder, his lips trailing across her collarbone.

He smirked as he repeated the action on the other side, his lip curling in amusement. "You aren't ever going to wear this dress again, right?"

Lila laughed as she shook her head. "It's not very practical."

Negan grinned with delight as he roughly tugged at the back of her dress, popping all of the buttons as the red silk tore beneath his grip. His breath hitched as the dress fell away, revealing a sheer black lace bra and panties.

"Mmm, all wrapped up like the perfect gift, sweetheart."

Lila couldn't help but giggle as his eyes twinkled. She loved how Negan seemed to shed his burdens as more of their clothing fell to the floor. He pulled her against his naked frame, letting his fingers trace along the curve of her spine.

"Negan!" Lila squealed as he suddenly pulled her into a bear-hug and lifted her off he ground, carrying her into the bathroom.

He set her down, unhooking her strapless bra with one hand. Lila blushed as he looked her up and down, licking his lips while reaching in to turn on the shower.

"I still can't believe you have hot water..."

Negan chuckled. "You know I've got everything you need, sugar."

Lila stroked the length of his hardened shaft, earning a deep growl from Negan. He buried his mouth against the column of her neck as they stepped into the warm cascade of water. She moaned as he ran his fingers across her slit, nudging her open until he found her clit, swollen and aching.

"Mmmm…Negan. Take what you need," she muttered against his chest.

He smiled as he pressed her against the cool tile wall, hitching her legs around his ass.

"Fuckity fuck, fuck, you feel so damn good wrapped around my cock," his face contorted with pleasure as he pushed into her wet heat. Their bodies slid against the slick tile, with Negan bracing his forearm against the wall for support. Lila arched against him, her arms tightening around his neck as she came apart.

"Negan! Fuck me…" Lila gasped.

He grunted as he pulled out abruptly, the evidence of his release trailing down her legs.

Lila wrapped her arms around his waist, listening to his heart as they came down from their high.

"Come on, doll, let's soap up and rinse off before the water goes cold," he said, kissing the top of her head. It would seem he was breaking every self imposed rule with her now, yet all he could think about was falling asleep with her curled around him.

###

Negan woke up in a cold sweat with his heart beating out of his chest. After their shower, Lila had remained true to her word, taking care of him two more times before he had passed out, boneless and breathless from their intense lovemaking.

 _Lovemaking_. Not fucking, he mused as he rubbed his hand across his face.

He couldn't remember much of the nightmare that had roused him, other than he was chasing Lucille through a foggy mist, and she kept repeating, "I told you so…"

Lila was curled around his side, her face pressed into his chest. Her dark hair fell in waves across his arm, her cheeks were flushed, and her lips were swollen from his kisses. She looked like snow fucking white. During the meeting, she had been so brave, and fierce. He couldn't believe how she had handled Gino, and the look in her eyes when Gino had revealed there were others was something to behold. She seemed determined to seek justice for them as much as for herself.

"I told you so."

Lucille's words filled his head. He had broken his last promise to her. Lila had found her way into his heart, and it scared the ever loving shit out of him.

Just as he began to drift back to sleep, the loud crackle of his walkie talkie broke the silence.

"…Operation alpha is in play…"

"Simon…what is it?" His voice was full of sleep.

"We have the targets in sight, sir. We should have full custody by day's end." The transmission was full of static but the message was clear. Negan would finally be able to bring the fuckers who raided his outpost to task.

Negan gently moved Lila off his chest and sat up.

"I'll meet you at the primary waypoint. Tell Dwight not to fuck this up."

"Copy that, boss." Simon replied.

Negan got dressed as quickly as possible, stepping into the bathroom to comb his hair and fold his scarf. First impressions were important. He had to be every ounce of the intimidating leader these people believed to be the monster under their bed.

When he returned to the bedroom, Lila was still fast asleep. He didn't have the heart to wake her, and he wasn't sure how she would feel about the delay in their negotiations or wedding plans.

He stepped into the office and scrawled a quick note to her, leaving it on the pillow.

 _ **Lila:**_

 _ **I'm sorry to run out on you, doll. Had to leave to attend to some urgent business.**_

 _ **Nothing to worry about. Sorry for wedding delay. Perhaps you can use today to draft your terms and conditions? Sherry will help you find a dress and anything else you need. Do not go work in the garage. I'll make it up to you when I get back. Be ready for me, baby.**_

 _ **Negan**_

The sky showed slivers of pre-dawn light as he grabbed Lucille and silently exited the apartment. Today would be a long ass day, but it's what he was built for and why he was in charge.

###


End file.
